I have never met a cow I didn’t like (especially if they’re black and white), but there were times when not all were in favor during my years of showing dairy. Summer days filled with training calves to lead, grooming, feeding and cleaning stalls provided lots of...
Amid the headlines of the ever-changing bird flu outbreaks in chickens1 and now, the spread to dairy cattle, one headline is still consistent: our food is safe. Poultry producers and dairy farmers work to ensure their products are safe by following safety protocols...
Growing up in the Smith household, a celebration or special time of the year wasn’t required for ice cream. There was always a half of gallon in the freezer as the backup dessert or an addition to homemade brownies, as a meal was not complete without dessert according...
Speaking from experience, it’s not easy to be a dairy farmer regardless of the size of the farm or the era in which it operates. Even though it’s been 30 years since cows grazed the pastures of my family farm, the passion and commitment of my late father can still be...
We all consider ourselves food “experts” regardless of our backgrounds, age, gender or social economic status. We eat to live (or in some cases live to eat) and frankly, food is the core of our existence. During COVID-19, we have rediscovered the “joy of cooking” at...
Regardless of our childhood and how long ago it was, we have memories that bring smiles to our faces, tears to our eyes or the realization of what we thought was bad, may actually have been good. June brings those mixed emotions for me as we celebrate National Dairy...
When the food chain is disrupted by a global pandemic and the system starts to unravel beyond our control, reality sets in and we wonder what if this is our new “normal.”
Trust is a tricky thing. One day you say you trust someone, a brand or a service and then in a blink of an eye, your view changes. A headline, a quote or a picture shoots an arrow through the heart of that belief. Your trust level has been challenged. And feelings of...
When I grew up, the term “milk” meant it was from a cow (our cows) and my only decision was whether to drink “whole” milk direct from the Holstein herd or buy "our processor" skim milk from the grocery store (which did not sit well with my father). Luckily, none of...
The latest issue of The AgriNutrition Edge Report is now available. Check out my new blog, “This I Know To Be True: Five Facts About Dairy.” June is National Dairy Month and I look at the challenges of dairy farming (it’s not for the faint of heart!) as well as...