Sometimes thinking outside the box can pay off in ways you don’t anticipate. Agriculture is usually a high-risk, high-reward venture, and for Ryan Schleis of Schleis Farms, switching a Holstein herd to Fleckvieh was an investment he was willing to make in exchange for higher fertility.

It was a sunny, beautiful day in the Pacific Northwest, and I decided to take the kids to Retired Farmer Disneyland. It’s a place that sells the best burgers in the area.

While many people were focused on college basketball games and brackets during the month of March, another competition was generating excitement and raising funds to support innovative programs in the dairy industry.

When Jesus was on the Earth, He healed the sick, made the blind to see, the lame to walk and raised the dead. We often look at those miracles as far away and long ago, but they still happen today.

Despite the numerous sources of anxiety that can affect those in agriculture, farmers tend to be reluctant to ask for help. While there is still sometimes an unfortunate stigma around addressing mental health issues, farmers are also conditioned to be independent.

Jackie Sanford, Heather Lifsey and Becky Heim found that balancing these roles with their responsibilities on the farm and careers required creativity, resilience and a willingness to lean on others. Their journeys reveal not only the struggles of caregiving but also the profound strength it takes to navigate this path.

While recent changes in policy and markets have added uncertainty to the economics of digesters, the technology remains a valuable option for dairies looking to improve sustainability, prepare for a carbon-conscious future and manage manure more effectively.

With fertility rates on the rise and data guiding every decision, beef-on-dairy matings – especially with composite sires – are helping dairies optimize both efficiency and profitability.