In 4-feet-high letters strung across the front of the manure pit on Ryans Glade Farm, a twinkling light display reads “Moo Moo Moo Dairy Christmas” – a dairy farmer's take on “Ho Ho Ho Merry Christmas.”

Since the weather has turned colder, the days have gotten shorter and nights longer, it can be hard to find activities to do with friends or family. However, doing activities doesn’t always mean you have to go somewhere fun.

Christmas and cows are two of Mariah Busta’s favorite things. So when COVID-19 hit in 2020 and caused canceled events everywhere, she was determined to find alternative ways to spread Christmas cheer and still connect the community with dairy at Iowa’s Dairy Center in Calmar, Iowa.

Nicole Toebes met her husband, Ross, milking cows part-time on a dairy farm in Ontario. As time progressed, they were married and Ross took a herdsman position on a 500-cow dairy.

The Adopt A Cow program, created by the Dairy Excellence Foundation, is helping to bring dairy education into the classroom while building trusted relationships with local dairy farmers. 

Laura Daniels serves as founder and president of the Dairy Girl Network, an organization dedicated to inspiring women and cultivating connections in the dairy industry. 

Hiring practices for reaching and attracting female candidates to work for you and build your dairy’s workforce and management team. 

 For the past few years, Pennsylvania dairy farmers and industry enthusiasts have been hard at work through legislation and education efforts to offer whole milk as a choice in schools.

Standing ringside at a competitive cattle show is a type of high that has captivated so many in the registered dairy cattle industry. Watching your time, money and energy parade across the shavings, looking the best she ever has, gets your heart racing analyzing the judge's every move and nervously tapping your toe. 

For Jessica Oliver, this statement is made at least daily around the farm and anywhere she happens to be close to dairy cattle. As a lifelong member of the dairy community, Jessica is no stranger to hard work and preparing cows for shows across the country.