While tugboats and barges drove up and down the Mississippi River, the 2024 PDPW Managers Academy for Dairy Professionals convened on the banks in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Jan. 9-11.

The other day, my wife greeted me as I came home and yelled out, “Was it a good day? How many babies did you make?” To the uninitiated, that may seem like an odd greeting, and yet for us, Vet Check Friday is kind of a big deal.

Hard work, determination and perseverance aid four generations of dairy producers on Boertje Farms in Visalia, California.

Variability is the one constant dairy producers can count on. Unfortunately, cows appreciate consistency and do best when things stay the same on a daily basis.

I remember back many years ago to a very special time in my life: Feb. 14, 1989. It was Valentine’s Day, and it was the third month that I had been dating a very beautiful, godly lady named Joanne.  

A community effort to bring local dairy processing to northeast Washington resulted in a stronger agricultural connection for local consumers.