Benjamin Franklin said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” Achieving any significant accomplishment is not the result of luck or chance. The winning Super Bowl team is not surprised they won. They know their reward is the result of great teamwork, good communication and, most importantly, from having a plan that was followed exactly as practiced.

Whether moving weaned calves into a new group or bringing springing heifers into the transition barn, many dairy producers have come to accept that a pen move will likely result in temporarily decreased feed intake, reduced gains or production, and the potential for a few sick or “off” animals.

It was just a few weeks ago I finally got the call. The one I knew would someday come but still wasn’t quite prepared to receive.

Dairy farmers established Professional Dairy Producers Foundation to ensure our dairy farms remain viable and socially responsible for generations to come.

Dairy farmers and industry representatives gathered to learn, strategize and position themselves for the future during the Professional Dairy Producers (PDPW) Business Conference, held March 13-14 in Madison, Wisconsin.

You’re busy – milking cows, managing employees and making 2019 cropping preparations. With that in mind, Progressive Dairyman looks at issues in the news impacting you and your dairy business.

For decades, our accounting firm has produced quarterly dairy farm cost studies for our clients and others to use for benchmarking and profitability improvement. The following is our preliminary report called the 2018 National Dairy Advanced Index.

Art and Renee Schaap are living a nightmare. Last summer, their farm’s water wells were found to be contaminated with chemicals from the adjacent Canon Air Force Base. And things have quickly gone from bad to worse for the fourth-generation dairyman and his family.

Michaline (Micki) Tomich’s experience design firm, Mixdesign, assisted Fair Oaks Farms with the recent redesign of their agritourism and educational experiences. The new exhibits opened this spring.

Raising heifers today is about having the right ones, not keeping every one. Do you need an inventory of heifers to maintain your milking herd? Of course. But are you confident your heifer inventory contains the type of females you need to sustain your herd and help you reach your herd’s productivity and profitability goals?