Pagel’s Ponderosa John Pagel, owner | Chris Szydel, herd manager Casco, Wisconsin Maintaining hoof health during the dry period can be a challenge on many dairies, but at Pagel’s Ponderosa, a movable, homemade stainless-steel footbath ensures that all cows are covered.

If the word “accident” is used with something that has happened on the road or freeway, then some kind of crash or collision is generally part of the incident. Just for kicks, let’s dissect the events leading up to a recent crash/collision and see if the term “accident” really applies. For this discussion, I won’t even identify the location.

Budjon Farms of Lomira, Wisconsin, may be well-known for their showring achievements, but their recent building additions are for more than just show. To keep pace with their evolving business structure, Tom and Kelli Cull completed a project this summer that elevates the experience at Budjon for both their customers and cattle.

What is the most important tool on the farm? A friend of mine answered that question at a local school career day by saying his pencil was his most important tool. A great answer in a time when agricultural literacy among the general public is so low and respect for our food producers follows suit. I beg to differ to some extent. To me, the mind is the more important. The pencil simply records the thoughts of the person holding it. Case in point, my last submission to this column had an egregious math error on my sprayer calibrations.

Most of us are in the habit of servicing our feeding equipment on a regular basis, whether it is daily or weekly, depending on the hours the equipment is used each day. Greasing drivelines and checking for proper chain tension is a familiar routine for the typical dairy farmer.However, common wear components, such as knives, lead edge scrapers (vertical mixers) and wipers (reel mixers) often go unnoticed and can dramatically impact mix quality and time.