Dairy Farming

How hard do farmers really work to keep cows happy? More than 90% of America’s milk comes from dairy farms that have voluntarily joined the National Dairy FARM Program.

FARM stands for Farmers Assuring Responsible Management. It’s a nationwide program that sets high standards for cow care and milk production based on the latest research, using second and third-party verification to confirm farmers and processors are meeting those standards – so consumers know their dairy comes from well cared for animals.

Check it out:

Ever wish you could tour a dairy farm? Now you can do it digitally!

Hunter Ridge Dairy in Ault, Colorado, offers an interactive 360-degree view of their farm – from the calves to the freestall barns, milking parlor and more! (Our favorite parts are the bloopers of the curious cows licking the camera.)

For best results, use your smartphone and a virtual reality headset; but you can also click and drag the video to explore on a desktop.

People are increasingly interested in where their food comes from and how it’s being produced, and they’re coming to registered dietitians with their questions. This blog will take you on a journey to tell the story of milk from farm to table.

Dr. Chris Mahlerbe’s career path was a no-brainer. He knew from the time he was a child that he was going to have a career as a livestock veterinarian.

“I became a vet because when I was a kid growing up, our family was friends with our local vet,” said Mahlerbe. “I liked the way he interacted with the community and got to be on the farms to help the farmers with their livestock.”

Dairy farmers are essential in America. They provide the product for some of the most delicious and nutritious foods available. However, with only 2% of Americans in agriculture, and even fewer having ever been on a farm, the disconnect between the farm and table is more apparent than ever before.

Dairy farmers are known for working hard to make sure consumers have access to healthy, wholesome dairy products. They put so much passion into their farms every day to ensure their animals are taken care of and that all of the work that needs to be done, gets done. Their hard working nature and passion tends to stretch beyond the farm and branch into the other activities they participate in - so what happens when a dairy farmer brings that passion to a community theater?

Chuck and Nora Feldpausch moved to Colorado in 2012 to start their own dairy and plant new roots in a new place as a family – but they were only able to do so because of the foundation built by Chuck’s parents Richard and Rose Ann and their family.

Chuck’s grandfather, Roman, decided to make the family dairy farm a business in the 1940s, after moving off of his parents’ farm nearby, so the family’s been dairying for close to a century. They started out with around 18 cows and after years of hard work, they are now operating several successful large dairies.

My name is Raeann and I’m a 4th generation dairy farmer! Both my mom and dad come from very long lines of dairy farming. I was raised on a farm and am so excited to be raising my kids on a farm as well. I, along with my parents, run a dairy farm in northeast Colorado. We have about 2,500 cows and heifers.

Someone once said, “Summer means happy times and good sunshine.” This is true on a dairy as well! Cow comfort is always our number one priority and the summer can sometimes make this easier. Everything from feeding baby calves to milking cows is easier in the summer.

Longmont Dairy is a dairy farm in Longmont, Colo. that not only milks and cares for over 400 cows, but also process their milk on-site and delivers it to their customers across the Front Range. Between running a dairy, a processing plant and a delivery service, owners Dave and Susan Boyd definitely stay busy. David and Susan have also started the process of retiring and are working on turning the dairy over to the next generation, Dan Boyd and Katie Herrmann.

You may not realize the process of how that nice, big glass of milk made it to your table.Thanks to LiveWell Colorado and Dairy MAX, I had the opportunity to tour a local dairy farm in July.

Milk is a common must have beverage. Believe it or not, dairy farms are actually very common here in Colorado. Some people think that the milk that comes from a single cow is unrewarding and therefore takes a while to get a lot of milk. However, that is not the case. Did you know cows can produce up to three and a half gallons of milk in just 15 minutes?  That’s one big glass of milk!