When Travis and Gordon Speirs of Shiloh Dairy set out to improve milk quality in their Holstein herd, they were aiming for a somatic cell count (SCC) below 120,000. The dairy currently runs a SCC of 77,000. Their secret sauce? Milk quality isn’t a parlor issue.

I have had many conversations with my clients about past emotional conversations and assisting them in preparing for an upcoming conversation they fear may become emotional. This article is to assist you in preparing to succeed as a supervisor in those conversations.

I’ve worked with dairies across the country, and one truth keeps surfacing: Motivated teams have healthier cows, solve more problems and stick around longer. Let's look at the 5 C’s of motivation: control, certainty, connection, clout and consistency – with examples straight from the barn.

Katie Hammock has been passionate about the medical field for a long time and wanted to bridge that passion with her deep-rooted background in dairy farming. Hammock made this possible when she created emergency farm kits to sell to farmers. Her mission grew to educate, equip and empower farm families.

Milking parlors are the drumbeat of a dairy – fast-paced, dynamic environments where small changes make a big difference.