We hear it over and over again: The dairy industry is changing faster than ever. And it’s true. We’re all living it every day.

For Canadian farmers, regulatory compliance will limit the use of tiestall barns beginning in April 2027. If labour efficiency is motivating you, automated milking might be part of your plan. One of the first questions to answer is whether to retrofit milking robots into your existing tiestall barn or start over with a new facility.

An open mind to listen to others’ advice may steer you in the direction of a lifetime. Taking others’ advice led Nicole Morris to become a dairy science instructor at Modesto Junior College (MJC) as well as grow her social media platform beyond Instagram and into Tik Tok. Morris juggles those passions along with running J&M Dairy with her husband, Johnny. 

A calf’s gut is a blank slate at birth, but bacterial microbes quickly establish themselves within the first weeks of life. During this narrow window, the calf’s gastrointestinal (GI) tract is rapidly colonized by bacteria from equipment, colostrum and bedding – both beneficial as well as harmful.

A soil health discovery that the Cotter family made decades ago set them on the path to becoming Minnesota’s 2025 Leopold Conservation Award recipient.