Art and Renee Schaap are living a nightmare. Last summer, their farm’s water wells were found to be contaminated with chemicals from the adjacent Canon Air Force Base. And things have quickly gone from bad to worse for the fourth-generation dairyman and his family.

Consumers continue to pressure the dairy industry for facility improvements that promote natural animal behaviors, including freedom of movement and socialization, and researchers are learning how to adapt dairy facilities to reflect those desires.

Dairy producers have been utilizing beef sires to take advantage of strong markets throughout the past decade. This breeding strategy increases a dairy’s value of bull calves and non-replacement heifers.

Finding dairy labor is tough. Finding legal employees is even harder. But the challenges don’t stop when that individual shows up for work on their first day.

Labor issues were critical topics both on the agenda and in conversations throughout the High Plains Dairy Conference in Amarillo, Texas, March 6 and 7, 2018. More than 300 dairy producers, industry personnel and university staff gathered for the event.

How can universities make dairy extension more relevant? Dr. Phil Cardoso’s efforts at the University of Illinois are revolutionizing the way dairies access science.

The number of females attending colleges of veterinary medicine surpassed the number of male enrollees in 1986. And with current nationwide enrollment hovering around 80 percent women, most vets who retire in the coming years will be replaced by a female practitioner.

Is tomorrow’s dairyman a woman? While the number of females receiving degrees in dairy science has increased to the point of surpassing the number of male students in some programs, several key factors make successful careers in the industry possible for women after graduation.

Dairy farming is hard. Farming solo is even harder. But farming on your own after you’ve lost your soul mate? That takes a special kind of strength. In 2015, Amanda Peckins Leik learned how strong she really was.

Immigration issues have seen heightened attention since last year’s presidential election. Concurrently, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) has expanded its efforts to identify undocumented immigrants. As a result, many dairies may have an employee or their family member face deportation.