A statement often made by professional athletes is: They stayed in the game beyond the years of their peak performance. Of course, the couple of million dollars they made for their time helped ease the transition.

Dairy farms are similar to the aggregate industry in that they spend a significant amount of time handling materials, from feed and manure to sand and livestock. Ross Veltema and Allen Bonthuis took their farming backgrounds and dovetailed them into their aggregate businesses.

The 2018 growing season was the year of tar spot on corn. Never before had the north-central U.S. experienced an epidemic of the disease that limited corn yield and quality.

Similar to a crime scene investigation unit, nutritionists often seek out evidence pointing toward a causative factor when troubleshooting. In some cases, the herd symptoms and challenges are odd, and contributing factors are not very easy to sort through even for well-seasoned consultants.

Sometimes the smallest changes can make a big impact. The same is true for heat stress management for your herd.

For the most part, most dairies include at least some supplemental or additive products in their feeding programs. We build diets starting with the forage base, using the best forages we can, and then add different feed and grain components to provide protein and energy.

Recently, among the different dietary fatty acids (FAs), considerable attention has been given to palmitic acid (C16:0) because of its potential to increase milkfat concentration and yield. Additionally, C16:0 has consistently increased feed efficiency compared with diets not supplemented with fats and other options of FA supplements.

When was the last time you experienced “the best of both worlds”? As a figure of speech, you simply enjoyed the advantages of two very different things or situations at the same time.

How many times over the past year have you and your nutritionist had a conversation about reducing ration costs? If you’re like most producers, you’re looking for every possible way to squeeze dollars from your monthly feed bill.

There are many misconceptions surrounding the dairy industry in today’s society. From misleading videos and information to a general lack of agriculture education, many people have no idea what a typical day on a dairy farm looks like.