Animal Health
Is That Garlic I Smell?
When you scoop up a handful of cattle feed normally, you will smell scents of molasses, bread (from the distiller’s grain) and hay. However, during fly season you might smell garlic. Fly season is one of many seasons farmers and ranchers have in addition to the...
Facts not Fear: Meatless Movement
As a registered dietitian and chef, I am often asked about plant-based diets and the rising popularity of the meatless movement. With new meat substitutes now more readily available in grocery stores and the development of public campaigns that discourage meat...
Caring for Cattle Through the Seasons
As farmers, we care about our cattle, and their welfare is very important to us. We want our cattle to be healthy so they are productive and aid in our goal of providing high quality beef to tables across the state. The weather is a big factor in how often our cattle...
Let’s Talk Turkey! Five Facts to Share at your Thanksgiving Table
Our family will be coming home to our farm to share good conversation and, of course, good food. The meal is the centerpiece of Thanksgiving. All of us want to put the best tasting, healthiest food on our tables for our families. Preparing that meal...
Cattle: The Ultimate Upcyclers
I have had a love for animals and a desire to live on a farm since I was a child. Little did I know my adult life would be spent caring for animals on a farm as I raised a family with my husband. For the past 41 years I went from knowing very little about raising...
What to Expect, When You’re Expecting – Sheep Edition
There isn’t a “What to Expect, When You’re Expecting” book for sheep producers, but we have started to create our own book. On our farm, we practice an accelerated lambing program, which means we are lambing every eight months. Since we are lambing more frequently, it...
High-tech Chicken Barns? You Bet!
While most of us are aware of the latest and greatest technologies available for our homes, such as Wi-Fi thermostats and video doorbells, would you believe that a lot of this same technology is available in modern livestock barns? When we decided in 2016 to...
New Year: Protein Front and Center
Happy New Year! A new year can often bring hope for changes in our health, finances and relationships. I don’t know how many times in my life I’ve made New Year’s resolutions to exercise more and eat healthier foods. When I think about eating...
Upcycling: Cows Do It!
“Upcycling.” Most often we think of this word in connection with home furnishings or clothing. On our farm we think of upcycling whenever we get our cow herd out on cornstalk fields after harvest. As soon as possible after our corn is harvested, we put up temporary...
AI in Dairy Farming: What it is, and Why it’s Important
Artificial insemination, or AI, has been a topic of conversation within the dairy industry for years, both by farmers as well as those who often don’t understand the practice. My family has been in the dairy industry for over 75 years, and throughout most of those...