As of late, the term “soil health” seems unavoidable. The topic has been the center of a flurry of activity resulting in partnerships, institutions, initiatives and networks. Confusion is added through conflicting, often nebulous, messages among these groups.

In many parts of North America, there can be a surplus of whole-plant corn acres left over for corn grain harvesting once the silage tonnage requirements are met.

The owners of Gracemar Farms prefer to be hands-on operators. Even as the farm continues to grow in size, they maintain active roles in the farm’s daily tasks.

I feel I’m living the dream when I help producers realize theirs. I have been fortunate to be involved in some of the world’s largest robotic dairies, most notably Fundo El Risquillo in Chile, which boasts 64 milking robots; as well as the installation of 24 robots in a U.S. barn.

A milk cooling system is an essential element of any dairy operation. There is no way around it; if you milk cows, you need a milk cooling system, as it decreases the chance for bacteria growth in milk.

Have you ever asked yourself or been asked the age-old question: Does the milking hose diameter really affect the way cows milk out, or does it improve parlor efficiency?

After fielding numerous complaints from the fieldman about the state of the milk house temperature wheel charts, Marge Pavlat from Casco, Wisconsin, decided it was time to find a solution.

Animal welfare in the milking parlor is one piece of the bigger picture of how improving cow comfort and removing barriers to production can increase milk production efficiency and profitability on your farm.

Early adopters of automatic milking systems have primarily been farms with 240 cows or less. According to Jack Rodenburg of DairyLogix, there are “probably less than 60 dairies worldwide with more than 500 cows and traditional single-box robots.”

Having been involved with robotic milking since early 2002, I have experienced many success stories regarding robotic milking. During that time, I have also seen farms that have struggled and questioned why they made the change to robotic milking.