Dairy farmers usually don’t have trouble caring for their animals, but sometimes they have trouble taking care of themselves. From working in the industry, and now being a dairy farmer myself, I have seen and experienced this firsthand.

With the fall season just around the corner, I reflect back on memories from the summer. Your first thought might be that I took a vacation. Nope. Growing up, our family never went on vacations.

When it comes time to add new equipment to your dairy farm, there are many factors to consider. Do you want to buy or lease the machine?

The advent of genomics and recent research on the long-term impact of the pre-weaning phase have helped put calf management in the limelight. And calf facilities have seen major improvements as a result.

As animal welfare issues continue to become more prominent, automatic comfort brushes for calves are becoming a necessary tool for farmers to improve calf comfort and well-being.

I am often asked, “How can I get more cows through my parlor?” This is a very common question, as the economics of dairying are getting tougher. Another huge issue facing dairymen is that labor to milk cows is harder to find, and the labor is coming at a premium price.

“What’s your why?” Heath Slawner, a member of Simon Sinek’s “Start With Why” team, asks. “And by why, I mean what’s your cause? What’s your purpose? What inspires you in the morning to wake up and go to work?

As a dairy farmer, I have had some experience interviewing potential employees – mostly high school students. Some of these teens have an ag background while others do not, but what many of them seem to have in common is the inability to make a good first impression.

Timely euthanasia is perhaps one of the biggest challenges for farmers and veterinarians. Many times, there isn’t a definite answer. Euthanizing the animal too early could mean a missed opportunity, but doing it too late means unnecessary animal suffering.

The start of the school year is a mixed bag of emotions for a farming mama and her brood. No one wants to see homework start again, but it’s a relief to get back to a routine, and to maybe even have a chance at warm coffee.