The operation has grown to 400 Holstein cows milked with six robotic milking systems, as well as a new retail store where they also sell local products from their community. The farm has a beef community-supported agriculture (CSA) program and also provides hay wagon tours and farm tours throughout the spring and summer and four weeks of Kids Farm Camp.

What do you get when two passionate dairy professionals decide that college students deserve a broader view of the dairy industry, an opportunity to connect the dots from farm to factory and to begin building their professional network all while keeping animal welfare and a healthy planet top of mind? Dairypalooza!

It comes as no surprise that 2023 was a rough year for most dairy producers across the U.S. with low milk prices, high input costs and tight margins.

It is not uncommon for the dairy checkoff to receive calls from entrepreneurs looking to innovate with dairy. This is why Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) created a tool that can help them navigate the resource waters and find the answers needed.

For years, Chase Pagel of Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy told herself she should write a children’s book about her daughter’s Jersey steer, Rosco, who loved to eat pink Pop-Tarts.