Farm tours

In her final edition of Starting Strong, Katie Grinstead of Vir-Clar Farms in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin shares the things her team does to keep calves cool and healthy through the summer heat.  A big thank you to Katie for sharing her expertise and experiences with us this past year! Visit our YouTube channel for

Focus on Calf Care Basics Key to Hilltop Dairy’s Growth and Success Hilltop Dairy LLC in Waupun, Wisconsin continually strives to reach new goals, whether it’s through the farm’s strong genetics program or milk production.  In fact, the 1,200-cow dairy recently achieved a new milestone in producing an average of 100,000 pounds of milk per

In this edition of Starting Strong, Katie Grinstead of Vir-Clar Farms in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin walks us through her nutrition and management program for weaned calves. Visit our YouTube channel for more segments of A Day in the Life of a Calf Raiser.

Focus on Protocols Keeps Family on Same Page Bill and Lisa Holland have farmed 37 years in Apple River, Illinois.  They started the operation with hogs and cows, but transitioned to exclusively cattle within the first few years.  Today, four of their five children play an active role on the family farm as they milk

In this edition of Starting Strong, Katie Grinstead of Vir-Clar Farms in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin talks about all the little tricks her team uses to more easily and efficiently raise calves, including sanitation, recordkeeping, and feeding strategies. Visit our YouTube channel for more segments of A Day in the Life of a Calf Raiser.

Customize Facilities for Success If you were to tour Ostrowski Farms’ calf facilities, you might think you’re looking at a calf raiser’s dream.  That opinion isn’t too far from reality. Ostrowski Farms, Inc. is owned and operated by two brothers, Greg and Dick Ostrowski, in Eland, Wisconsin.   Greg’s two sons as well as Dick’s son

In this edition of Starting Strong, Katie Grinstead of Vir-Clar Farms in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin walks us through her newborn calf facilities and protocols.  Cleanliness and colostrum are two major priorities for Katie. Visit our YouTube channel for more segments of A Day in the Life of a Calf Raiser.

UW-Madison Dairy Farm Sets Practical Example for Calf Care If you’ve never visited a university research farm, you might envision state-of-the-art equipment and extreme precision in every task.  While that holds true in some respects – especially with certain research trials – the university farm does not greatly differ from the average dairy. The Emmons

In this edition of Starting Strong, Katie Grinstead of Vir-Clar Farms in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin shares all the things she does to raise healthy calves year-round.  This includes a big focus on bedding and a high plane of nutrition.     Visit our YouTube channel for more segments of A Day in the Life of

Team Accountability Drives Success on Nehls Bros. Farms Dr. Jerry Gaska has practiced veterinary medicine since 1989, so he well knows the importance of developing and following clear protocols for animal health.  By working closely with him, the calf team at Nehls Bros. Farms understands that value as well. Nehls Bros. Farms is owned and

We are pleased to introduce you to Katie Grinstead of Vir-Clar Farms in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.  She oversees the calf program in addition to managing the family farm's finances.  In her first edition of A Day in the Life of a Calf Raiser, Grinstead shares her experiences from her recent trip to China where

Heim’s Hillcrest Dairy LLC Achieves Improved Performance with Autofeeders  A higher plane of nutrition can lead to improved performance in dairy calves and automatic calf feeders can be very effective in delivering that nutrition to each calf when managed effectively. That was the thought process behind the installation of the Holm & Laue autofeeders at

In this edition of Starting Strong A Day in the Life of a Calf Raiser, Danae Stieglitz of Stieglitz Dairy LLC talks about training employees on proper calf care.  By doing so, Danae ensures newborn calves receive ultimate care from all employees, regardless of whether she is there or not.  A big thank you to

Sponem Valley View Dairy, LLC Makes Gradual Changes to Growing Family Farm Steve Sponem grew up on his parents’ dairy farm in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin.  At the time he and his now wife, Karen, started dating, the 30 heifer calves born per year did very well in their group pens in the milking barn. But

Click to download the PowerPoint presentation Article written by Macy Sarbacker When it comes to autofeeders, those who have installed the technology on their farms have learned through experience how to best operate them and what they would do differently if given the chance. In the preconference session at Vita Plus Calf Summit 2014, Chad

In this edition of Starting Strong A Day in the Life of a Calf Raiser, Danae Stieglitz of Stieglitz Dairy LLC explains her farm's fly control and heat abatement strategies as she looks forward to warm summer weather.  Visit our YouTube channel for other A Day in the Life of a Calf Raiser segments.