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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
By breeding 50% to beef and adjusting quarterly based on market data, one Arizona dairy stays profitable regardless of where calf prices go.
When ICE came to a dairy farm, one farmer’s desperate call exposed the impossible choice facing U.S. dairy industry.
Inside the Crisis Threatening American Farms — and Why It Should Matter to Everyone
Beef-on-dairy calves are driving dairy profitability, but outdated management practices are costing producers thousands in lost value before calves ever reach the feedlot.
A Navy SEAL with Ag Committee seniority faces a dairy farmer who lived the economics that forced her family to sell after 150 years. Both want your vote.
Rick Naerebout had 15 problems moving through the Idaho legislature simultaneously — all of them bad for agriculture.
Two accidents. Two recoveries. Two back braces hanging on an office wall. And one lesson a California dairy nutritionist learned the hard way: “Professionally, we’re all replaceable. But family? That’s different.”
With more than 83 new members of Congress incoming and historic trade gains at stake, dairy’s policy chief issues an urgent call for farmer engagement.
September data shows dairy herd expansion and per-cow productivity gains increased output while component quality continues historic trajectory.
Outgoing Dairy Management Inc. CEO Barbara O’Brien reflects on resilience, innovation and the power of partnership as she hands the reins to Corey Scott.
A veteran dairy industry leader returns to the association after strengthening a bottled water trade group.
Retiring DMI CEO Barb O’Brien speaks on the protein reconciliation coming to dairy, why farmers give checkoff a “privilege” other industries don’t have and what she’d worry about if checkoff disappeared.
The quest for farm profitability remains constant, regardless of geographical location. For Brian Rushe, this pursuit is not just about numbers on a ledger; it’s the foundation upon which sustainability is built for his operation.
A 200-cow farm and a 3,000-cow hybrid operation prove robotic milking can work at scale — but a University of Wisconsin researcher says the success stories don’t paint the entire picture.
Why does the unity we celebrate at homecoming fade when we need it most? A reflection on dairy’s divided house — and why we’re stronger together.