Karen Lee

Compost adds diversity, solutions for Rosenholm-Wolfe Dairy

March 19, 2013

Along the banks of the Mississippi River in the driftless area of western Wisconsin lies Buffalo County. It is home to valleys of unsurpassed fertility, bordered by towering bluffs on all sides. Nestled in Waumandee Valley is Rosenholm-Wolfe Dairy LLP, a 550-cow and 500-head youngstock operation.

Phil Vassar to welcome dairy producers to the Central Plains Dairy Expo

March 8, 2013

Karen Lee

The Central Plains Dairy Expo at the South Dakota Convention Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is less than two weeks away. The Welcome Reception with a concert by Nashville signer and songwriter Phil Vassar will kick off the event on March 26. The trade show and seminars are March 27-28. Keynote speaker Michael Swanson, a Wells Fargo agricultural economist, will address “Economic Outlook and Opportunities: What’s the Market Telling You?”

Air emissions, anaerobic digesters highlight of Midwest Manure Summit

February 28, 2013

Karen Lee

As snow blankets the Midwest, February is a good time to take an in-depth look at how to manage one of the largest materials produced on farms.

National Dairy FARM Program, like a 3-year-old, asks ‘Why?’

February 28, 2013

Karen Lee

The most commonly asked question of any 3-year-old is “Why?” It displays their curiosity to learn more about the things they already know in life. In its third year, the National Dairy FARM Animal Care Program is also busy asking “Why?”

Feeding: How, when and what

February 28, 2013

Karen Lee

Presenting a nutritionally correct diet is important when caring for a dairy cow, but to assume that it is all that is required in terms of the animal’s nutritional well-being is incorrect. “We need to focus on what the cow does with that feed,” says Trevor DeVries, associate professor in the Department of Animal and Poultry Science at the University of Guelph – Kemptville.

All ears, new sensor is a triple threat

February 11, 2013

Karen Lee

This article was #7 of the Top 25 most well-read articles on www.progressivedairy.com in 2013. Click here for the full list of the Top 25. Activity monitors continue to draw interest within the dairy industry. Producers are familiar with pedometers for activity and collars for activity and rumination; in this New Technology feature, we introduced you to an ear tag sensor that measures activity, rumination and temperature.

Getting started

February 1, 2013

Karen Lee

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? That’s a hotly debated question, one that can puzzle a small child and stump an adult to come up with the correct answer.

Today I find myself with a similar question: what comes first, the calves or the milk replacer?

Do calves need to socialize?

January 31, 2013

Karen Lee

The common dairy practice is to separate a dairy calf from its dam at birth and place it in individual housing. This helps to protect the calf from pathogens and makes it easy for the calf raiser to monitor, but it limits social contact for the animal.

According to Margit Bak Jensen of Aarhus University in Denmark, early social contact to the dam or social contact to other calves during the milk feeding period has beneficial effects on behaviour and welfare; social contact to other calves also stimulates earlier and larger intakes of solid food.

GLRDC teaches producers to do more with less

January 25, 2013

Karen Lee

One of the top educational conferences in the country, the Great Lakes Regional Dairy Conference is dedicated to helping dairy producers learn new ways of increasing their profitability by doing more with less. In its 11th year, the conference plans to deliver a high impact program. Leading experts will make presentations on topics ranging from labor management and community connections to calf nutrition and global issues concerning the dairy industry. Read below to see a sampling of the educational sessions.

Central Sands Dairy beds with sand and digests too

January 18, 2013

Karen Lee

This article was #16 of the Top 25 most well-read articles on www.progressivedairy.com in 2013. It was published in the January 21, 2013 print issue. Click here for the full list of the Top 25. Debunking the myth that sand bedding cannot be used on a farm with an anaerobic digester, we profiled the digester system (including sand separation equipment) at Central Sands Dairy. While the farm is keeping 99 percent of sand from the entering the digester, Adam Onan, a manager at the dairy, said one downside is getting the separated sand dry.

Articles by Karen Lee

Compost adds diversity, solutions for Rosenholm-Wolfe Dairy

Phil Vassar to welcome dairy producers to the Central Plains Dairy Expo

Air emissions, anaerobic digesters highlight of Midwest Manure Summit

National Dairy FARM Program, like a 3-year-old, asks ‘Why?’

Feeding: How, when and what

All ears, new sensor is a triple threat

Getting started

Do calves need to socialize?

GLRDC teaches producers to do more with less

Central Sands Dairy beds with sand and digests too

10 tips for navigating farm transition

How to prevent winter freeze with ventilation

Irons in the Fire: Just one calf

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