My housemate brought home a virtual reality headset. Being somewhat behind the times, I still thought they were the imagination of science fiction. Slipping it on, I was amazed at how fast the physical world disappeared. Suddenly, I was in a shark tank and, every way I turned, I was surrounded by hammerheads.

This New Year’s, I want to encourage you all to take time for yourself. It doesn’t have to be running, although I will say a daily walk or run is excellent at clearing your mind. Go out with a friend once a month. Go to a movie by yourself and eat all of the popcorn.

Studies show less than half of people who start a New Year’s resolution follow through and actually commit to the task. So I’m just guessing ..... New Year’s Day – probably not the best day for a wedding.

With 50 percent of dairy production costs tied into feed, conventional wisdom dictates that many dairy operators would look for ways to drive down those costs without sacrificing production — and feed management software accomplishes that. When used consistently and effectively, however, it can also drive up production while maintaining or increasing feed costs to create a greater net positive increase/return on investment. It accomplishes this by more closely monitoring/tracking feed use, animal intakes, mixing ratios and chemistries, waste, optimizing pen feeding, and tracking/examining income in relation to feed price.

If you like old Westerns, then you are familiar with the popular scene where the heroine of the story is tied to the railroad tracks as a speeding locomotive races towards her peril. That scene aptly describes the scenario lingering in the dairy community.

Dairy farmers could lower costs associated with heifer rearing by making improvements in their herd reproductive management, based on research being conducted by Ph.D. candidate Magdalena Masello and Cornell University’s Dairy Cattle Biology and Management Laboratory.

No need for a full page of New Year’s resolutions. Sum it all up in one little word, and see the big influence it can have on your life in 2018.

You’re ready to trade off a piece of farm equipment, or trade for another farmer’s iron. You’ve looked at the “blue book” value and searched similar sales on various internet sites. You think you are fully prepared to make a bid. But you’d be wrong. You’re not prepared until you’ve made some inspection of and determined value for the tires.

By definition, molds are filamentous fungi that occur in feedstuffs, including roughages and concentrates. They date back to biblical times; however, molds have been gaining more attention in recent years due to their increased presence in feeds and their effects on dairy cattle.

Baler Brown, age 3, seems destined to become a fourth-generation dairy farmer. Every evening after her bath, when she’s in her pajamas, Baler runs to the front door and flaps her arms in excitement. She’s ready to help prep the milking parlor.