In this episode of the Progressive Dairy podcast, host Kimmi Devaney talks with a fourth-generation Washington dairy farmer about managing an automated milking system in a pasture-based system, opportunities available for young people interested in getting involved in the dairy industry, the ways automation has changed the way they manage the farm, facility upgrades and what they are doing differently to increase cow comfort, and more. 

Rising feed and transportation costs have dairy farmers looking for ways to save on raising replacement heifers. A free spreadsheet planning tool called the Heifer Grazing Compass allows farmers to evaluate whether their operation can reduce cost and labor needs by creating a rotational grazing program.

If there was ever an opportunity for good science, this is certainly it.

Organic dairy producers must follow many rules that seem to heighten the struggles every dairy faces. One of these regulations requires all organic dairy cattle to spend a minimum of 120 days each year on pasture, which in some areas can be the entire grazing season.

Grazing systems have been targeted as a source of greenhouse gas emissions due to high-forage diets and decreased forage quality.