We bought our farm in 1991, and I learned very quickly that it was impossible to get my crops planted early in the spring. By planting late, it really cut into my crop yields. Back then, I was way in debt and couldn’t do anything about it, though.

“Tennessee Williams lived in this house,” the landlord said. She was a quiet woman in her 60s who had tried to shut the door on me, having explained that she wasn’t showing the room today. I handed her the check and said I was desperate and would take it sight-unseen.

“For as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he ...”—Proverbs 23:7 That quote is a powerful, life-changing statement. Our minds – or our thoughts – allow us to achieve greatness or to remain in abject poverty.

Skid steer loaders and compact track loaders can be very versatile dairy tools, but with so many manufacturers and options, it can be difficult to figure out what machine really suits your operation best. Tires and tracks both have their advantages and disadvantages depending on the applications they will be used in.

What is iNDF or uNDF? A: The fiber that is locked within lignin and never (ever) capable of being digested is now termed indigestible NDF (iNDF). We use undigested NDF (uNDF) at 120 or 240 hours of digestion to estimate iNDF.

When I got asked to write the HERd management column for the “State of the Dairy Industry” issue, I knew it could be a challenge. After all, how do you summarize an entire year into so few words?

Let’s look at what it takes to build the best barn for your operation, starting with understanding the basic concepts and the most common errors in barn design as well as other design options or technologies that will eliminate those errors and improve cow comfort.

With tax season upon us, the last thing you probably want to hear is the word “audit.” However, not all audits are created equally, and one type – an energy audit – can actually save you money.

As more and more is learned about nutrient application and soil conservation, three innovative Wisconsin farmers have changed how they apply manure.

When it comes to producing high-quality milk, clean milking equipment is a crucial part to achieving this goal. Monitoring milk quality counts, and keeping your milking equipment cleaning on track is a must to consistently produce high-quality milk.