“Treat every cow like she is your only cow. It is more important for us to do what is right for the calf than what is easy for the people.” —Stotz Dairy motto

Last year was the first year I did not go home for Thanksgiving. Although I spent it with close friends and had an enjoyable time, it was not the same as being home with my family.

Dairy veterinarian George Palmer has learned that just because you’re not doing anything wrong, it does not mean an animal rights activist will not target you.

Women in dairy are a diverse group with one common passion: dairy. These women are leaders and, like every good leader, they have people they look up to who challenged and inspired them to be who they are today.

Dodge wowed the nation two-and-a-half years ago with its Super Bowl commercial “So God made a farmer.” While many producers appreciated the recognition for the hard work and dedication they put into their profession, this salute to American agriculture showed only a few female producers.

There aren’t many people who can tell you they’ve farmed the same land for more than 100 years – let alone milked cows for that long – but at Scheer’s Dairy Farm in New Haven, Missouri, that’s exactly what they’ve been doing since 1897. 

Every year, 7 million children starve to death. Is this sad? Yes. Were many of you shocked by that? Probably not. What many of you may not know, however, is that hunger isn’t just a third-world problem; it’s a first-world problem too.

Do I feed hay? Would my calves grow better on a TMR? With industry experts arguing both sides of the issue, it’s sometimes hard to figure out which road to take.

For Kevin Souza, the importance of proper calf nutrition has been his biggest lesson in calf care in the past 18 years he’s spent as the managing partner at Victory Farms in Millbank, South Dakota.