Are my heifers growing well enough? Are automatic calf feeders best for my calves? How do I get heifers to calve in on time? How can I make sure they are productive when they start milking?

A couple days ago, when I was out in the barn feeding the cows, something that happened many years ago came to my mind. I was surprised because I hadn’t thought about it in years. But it brought a smile to my face, and I then realized I had to write about it.

Over the years, I have seen many dads come and go. I have met great ones and not-so-great ones. I’ve seen dads who dote on their children and dads who completely abandon their little ones.

Today’s tractors and implements are truly amazing. Drones and GPS guidance systems, auto steering and implements that tell the tractor to speed up or slow down.

I was working off of a playground tip, and the first thing I noticed was: The gym was blue – the walls, the court – as in so much blue that when I walked out of it an hour later, the colors of the outside world didn’t seem to fit anymore. It was a Croatian who told me about the weekly pickup game, but because the men usually spoke English to each other, I gathered they came from different countries in eastern Europe.

Seventeen years ago, I was introduced to a tiny Holstein spring calf that taught me more about life than any person I’d ever met. She wasn’t even my own calf. She belonged to my sister, who had just turned 8 and joined 4-H. I was only 6 and anxiously awaiting my birthday in two years so I could have a calf of my own.

If you're reading this, you are one of the six people who read my column. Thank you. Actually, if you are reading this, then chances are you’re a farmer or work in agriculture.

We all like scores: golf scores, bowling scores, limestone scores – single numbers that tell us volumes about complex situations. We use scores all the time. A bowling score of 300 is not just good; it’s a perfect game. A golf score of 300 is, well, not. Sometimes scores go by different names.

There are many risk factors for phosphorus loss from soil that can lead to water quality problems. It is important to consider both source and transport when using an index to identify these potential losses.

Skid-steer loaders have become an essential piece of equipment on modern dairy farms. Today’s skid-steer loaders are fast, powerful and, most importantly, versatile – helping you tackle all the tasks at hand on any given workday on the farm.