Have you ever had the opportunity to tour differing dairy farms through your co-op? It’s really interesting to observe how farms do certain routine procedures on regular tasks in unique ways. It may be that you notice how certain workers seem to have a gentle hand when working directly with the cows.

Sometimes the overwhelming demands of farming cause the entire body to slump at the kitchen table. Worn hands stroke graying hair, and eyes are reddened and glassy. Farming is one of those businesses where you live at your workplace.

A hat has many uses: It shields our eyes from the sun’s glare, it protects the top of our heads and in many cases serves as a fashion accessory. Ask any devoted hat wearer, and they will have a favorite hat, a hat they are known by.

Twenty years ago, while out checking his drowning crops, fourth-generation dairy farmer Jerry Nelson decided to write a letter to his county extension agent. That tongue-in-cheek letter can now be found in his recently published book, Dear County Agent Guy: Calf Pulling, Husband Training and Other Curious Dispatches from a Midwestern Dairy Farmer.

Audits of 95 U.S. herds found many have addressed dairy efficiency from feed processing and storage perspectives, but cow comfort remains an area needing improvement.

Whether you are actively dairying, transitioning the farm or just starting out, there are major decisions to be made, and each comes at a price. Luckily, a new set of resources from Iowa State University’s Extension and Outreach Dairy Team can help estimate the income and expenses associated with conventional, organic and pasture-based dairy operations.

Recently there has been much media buzz about “free trade agreements.” Free trade agreements cover many products, but this article will focus on dairy products. Certainly these free trade agreements will impact U.S. dairy pricing, and this article will review some of the factors and trends that free trade agreements are influencing.

This question is being asked at industry meetings, policy workshops and is now a recurring topic among company executives. The answer to this question will affect the future of our industry and, as such, demands significant reflection.

Math is integral to your dairy operation. You routinely crunch numbers ahead of making important decisions. Those numbers tell you whether it’s wise to, for example, expand the herd, add employees and purchase new equipment.

Penn State Extension recently did a survey of the projected breakeven cost on 110 Pennsylvania-based dairy farms. The average projected breakeven was $19.04 per hundredweight, about $4 per hundredweight above the April all-milk price of $15 per hundredweight.