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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
Megan shines bright in all that she is involved with on the farm and off. Her latest endeavors includes sharing dairy messages on her TikTok account, that has reached millions.
Tractor rollovers, grain suffocations, deadly fumes — the list goes on. Farming is one of the deadliest professions in the world. Dairy farmer, Cathy Mess considers herself very lucky to not add to that statistic.
The ‘Dairy Consumers of the Future: Changing Focus to Components’ report showcases that there are going to be some big population shifts in the U.S., with an aging and diversifying population.
Exploring leadership challenges that women encounter as they navigate careers in the dairy industry and prepare for future success was a conversation recently discussed in a recent NMPF Young Cooperator program webinar.
The names Evelyn, Claudia and Jojo Leubner might not ring a bell, but if you search for NYFarmGirls on social media, you’ll quickly see they certainly have made a name for themselves by sharing their dairy story.
Remember the polar vortex that hit four years ago? While our temperatures are considerably warmer today, dairy farming is a 365-day commitment, meaning there are no days off. Not even during a polar vortex.
A high school dance proposal used to simply consist of asking your date to the dance, but now there is a lot of hype about when and how you ask. Recently my daughter’s proposal included a trip to the cow barn.
There is no cookie-cutter approach to establishing a work-life balance. It can be different for everyone. In the non-stop work on a dairy farm, they probably are asking, “Where’s the off switch?”
Knowing your budget is essential for dairy producers, especially coming off a record-high milk price year. Penn State Extension offers guidelines to be considered when using milk futures.
The latest USDA Milk Production report saw a mere 0.8% increase in December’s milk production over the prior year. While states, like Texas and South Dakota continue to lead the way in year-over-year cow number growth.
More states are requiring overtime pay for ag employees. A recent USDA Ag Prices Report outlined that labor expenses were up 7.3.% compared to 2020 and is at a 20-year high.
The idea of taking a vacation or a day off can seem near impossible, but really can be the single best thing a farmer can do. A change of scenery, time to rest, and a chance to talk about something other than the farm.
Challenges surface—whether that is from the world around us, our industry, our farm, our family, or even the challenges in our own head. Although dairy farmers are not the kind of people who make excuses.
Having employees take ownership and complete tasks is ultimately what managers seek in employees. Consider these tips to help boost your team’s leadership.
With the demand for beef up, more dairy producers are crossbreeding poor genetic or less productive cows with beef semen. Over the past few years, dairy semen sales have idled while domestic beef sales have exploded.