Finding cows with a locomotion score of “3” could be the magic number that transforms lameness levels within a dairy herd, according to Neil Andrew, Northeast account manager with Zinpro Corporation.

Ben Sorrell lives in Galena, Missouri, traveling across the state and into northwest Arkansas and northeast Oklahoma as a professional hoof trimmer.

Over 80 hoof-trimming enthusiasts met in Tomah, Wisconsin, to network and learn more about their trade at a winter getaway on Feb. 18-19. The gathering was coordinated by trimmers Skip Blake from Wisconsin and Justin Addy from Minnesota, and included conversations around certification, lameness and professional development.

Today, I attended the graveside services of my uncle. It was a sweet service set in the old country cemetery of Heber, Arizona. The marble and sandstone grave markers are nestled under towering pines and surrounded by limestone hills.

Across the country, millions of acres of hay are baled or chopped every year. Nearly all of this hay needs to be gathered into a windrow to allow it to be picked up for harvest.

The CEO of a major farmer-owned dairy cooperative in Washington state told a congressional panel today that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has created jobs and increased sales for his company and the entire U.S. dairy sector, and that a renegotiated treaty must maintain market access to Mexico while also fixing trade challenges with Canada.

Decisions on the dairy should be based on increasing efficiency to improve the bottom line. As you weigh the costs and benefits of cooling your cows, the numbers quickly add up: Cooling wins every time.

Acknowledged as a leading cause of lameness in the dairy industry, digital dermatitis (DD) is a widespread problem present on the majority of U.S. dairies. Also known as hairy heel warts, this costly and highly contagious disease progresses quickly. If not caught in the early stages, DD can result in permanent hoof damage.

What is one of the first things you notice as you drive by a dairy farm? Some might say the smell, but for even those outside of the industry, one of the first things you notice are the barns. They are the farm.

From milking by hand in 1915 to milking with robots today, Stensland Family Farms has embraced technology’s role in providing an opportunity for dairying, agritourism and on-farm processing.