May is the month when the majority of corn gets planted across the nation. It is also one of the months where the most fertilizer is applied. It’s a terrible time for fertilizer prices to spike, and yet, here we are… While you may wish you could just take a year off from buying fertilizer, we all know that crop yield requires nitrogen, and the cows still need to eat. While we can’t take a year off, we can try to make cropping decisions that will allow us to purchase less and

Increasingly intense storms and more frequent freeze/thaw events due to climate change are making environmentally and economically sustainable crop production increasingly difficult. To survive the episodic periods of inundation and drought that will accompany these climate changes, farms will need to maximize precipitation infiltration to mitigate the accompanying risks which could result in substantial nutrient and sediment exports and crop failure.

As we step into spring our cows and barn crew are both looking forward to warmer weather. With temperatures increasing, the dairy has been busy gearing up for seasonal shifts. Spring cleaning is underway, with some major projects in progress as we also begin preparing for our Open House on August 1.

Anyone who has AI bred cows during the summer months has “felt the heat” when breeding animals. As a relief breeder on our family’s farm, I’ve often wondered if it was even worth the effort and cost of the semen straw to put sperm in what feels like a roaster oven. Since I’ve spent considerable time observing spermatozoa under a microscope, I know how sensitive sperm are to temperature…both cold and hot.

Scours and early-life disease remain among the most costly challenges in calf programs, driving labor, treatment costs, and long-term performance losses. While management practices such as colostrum quality, hygiene, and housing remain the foundation of calf health, nutrition — particularly milk replacer formulation — can influence how calves respond to disease pressure.

For decades butterfat has dominated milk pricing discussions in the U.S., and feeding strategies have largely followed suit. However, market signals over the past several years suggest a clear shift: Milk protein is becoming an increasingly important driver of farm revenue.

There appears to be an increasing focus on the pre-weaning period due to its association with subsequent milk production, and more recently, longevity within the herd. A 2025 Journal of Dairy Science article by Leal et al. focused on the long-term effects of pre-weaning nutrient supply on lactation performance and survival in the herd.

Rumination is a fundamental cow behavior with wide-ranging implications for digestion, health, and productivity. Rechewing feed increases saliva flow, helps maintain rumen pH, and supports fiber degradation. When rumination declines, feed intake and rumen health often suffer soon after.

When the calendar flips to April, I always start thinking about when it will be time to plant corn. But how early is too early? Well, that depends on your definition. Technically speaking, it is never too early to plant corn. As anybody who has dealt with “volunteer” corn knows, corn seeds are perfectly capable of surviving a whole winter out in the field – well enough to cause substantial weed pressure in a soybean crop! Even so, you won’t catch any farmer in his right mind

Feed push-up is a simple management practice, but its impact on cow performance is closely tied to one key factor: keeping feed consistently within reach. As cows eat and sort the ration throughout the day, feed is gradually displaced away from the bunk, creating periods when feed remains present but is no longer accessible.