I need to go to the grocery store. I’ve been saying that every day for the past week, and as each day passes and the cupboards and refrigerator continue to empty, it becomes even more apparent.

We hate to lose money as farmers, but do we understand the costs of losing a valuable employee who works well on our farm and is part of the team?

In order to control their own destiny in the marketplace, some dairy producers are turning to on-farm processing and producing their own dairy products.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, research on North American dairy farms reported that on average one out every four cows was lame. Fast-forward to present day, and we see nearly identical numbers.

Eighty percent of all problems arise in the transition period – 80 percent. Problems like milk fever, ketosis and metritis are a direct result of shortcomings in dry cow management. This is cutting cow lives short. Why don’t we take better care of our pregnant ladies?