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Karen Bohnert

Dairy Editorial Director

Karen Bohnert is the Dairy Editorial Director at Farm Journal, overseeing Dairy Herd Management and Milk Business Quarterly since 2021. A lifelong advocate for dairy, Karen draws from both professional expertise and personal experience—she and her husband operate Bohnert Jerseys, a 750-cow dairy in East Moline, Illinois.

Raised on a dairy farm in Oregon, her editorial career spans freelance journalism and roles at organizations like Swiss Valley Farms and the American Jersey Cattle Association. She was named a Distinguished Alumni Leader by the Holstein Foundation.

Latest Stories
2026 milk prices are defying a massive supply surge as a revolution in protein demand and steady exports create a great rebalancing for U.S. dairy producers navigating market volatility.
Nominate the innovators and advocates redefining dairy. Apply by August 1 for a chance to win an all-paid trip to the 2026 Milk Business Conference in Scottsdale, Ariz.
After 17 years battling the silent killer of stray voltage, the Den Hoed family is using an audacious faith and elite self-sufficiency to build a brand-new future for the next generation.
From the evolving H5N1 virus to the looming screwworm threat, discover why a line of separation is the new strategic foundation for safeguarding the U.S. milk supply in 2026.
Kansas leads a 30-year high for the U.S. dairy herd as production surges 25.4%, anchoring a massive geographic shift toward the high-precision infrastructure of the High Plains.
By transforming the dairy barn into a high-precision factory floor, beef-on-dairy provides the consistent, year-round supply of high-quality cattle the beef industry has chased for decades.
By pairing immigrant grit with a million-worm revolution, Anthony Agueda is using natural engineering to protect his family’s legacy and redefine the American Dream for California dairy.
This fashionista is proof the future of dairy is fulfilling, fun and fierce — swapping heels for high-tech tags to lead her family’s Texas dairy legacy into a new era of innovation.
While component growth and beef-on-dairy can coexist, 2026 producers are responding to market signals that currently favor the high-value black calf rebate over further increases in milkfat.
The cows are back. Discover how Circle J Dairy is using vertical integration to bulletproof its future, showing that resilience is the secret ingredient in every bottle.
As state mandates dismantle century-old overtime exemptions, dairy producers face a squeeze play between rising labor costs, workforce shortages and the high-stakes push for automation.
The era of the average cow is over. Learn how 2026 genetic innovations are bulletproofing dairy herds against heat stress, rising feed costs and evolving supply chain demands.
For the past five years, I’ve stood in the gap between breaking news and the barn floor — logging thousands of miles to ensure the voices of U.S. dairy farmers reach their destination.
USDEC is marking 30 years in operation and a 1,168% rise in value. Learn why record 2026 export growth is the new foundation for the modern U.S. milk check.
As make allowances surge to $5.04 per cwt., the American Dairy Coalition is demanding USDA transparency to ensure that plant efficiency gains don’t become an invisible tax on the family farm.