Robotics have made significant inroads into every sector of life, from robotic-assisted surgery and automobile assembly to gathering items for an online order.

Have you ever visited a nature park and climbed to the top of a tall observation tower? Finding your way through the woods is completely different after gaining an overview from such a position compared to just standing on the ground.

It is common to observe great variation in dairy personnel turnover and performance among dairy operations. That variation can often be traced to training.

I could hear her frustration and feel the pain as I read the lengthy email describing an all-too-common scenario for farm families today. The aging parents have been pressured to be “fair” to the non-farm siblings, who have noticed farmland values have increased significantly.

In Issue 16 of Progressive Dairyman (Oct. 1, 2017), we discussed ongoing legal battles involving Golden Sands Dairy LLC and a local government over the siting of a new dairy operation. (Land use law and zoning: Vested rights)

Immigration issues have seen heightened attention since last year’s presidential election. Concurrently, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) has expanded its efforts to identify undocumented immigrants. As a result, many dairies may have an employee or their family member face deportation.

Issue 16 of Progressive Dairyman (Oct. 10, 2017) highlighted the Rural Firefighters Delivering Agricultural Safety and Health (RFDASH) project from the National Farm Medicine Center.

No matter where your personal convictions fall in the legalized marijuana debate, what we have right now is a potential legal mess for many employers.

I received a call while stuck in the Cleveland, Ohio, airport from a farmer who was having some serious employee issues. He drove into his farm one afternoon to find two employees literally fist fighting in the parking lot.

Ask any dairy producer about their greatest concerns for the future and, within minutes, the topic of labor will be mentioned. For U.S. dairymen, the issue of immigration will likely come within the same breath.