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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
From local grocery shops to nearby warehouses to the neighboring farm, help wanted signs are literally everywhere you turn. The growing issue of labor shortages has many dairy farmers asking, “Where can I find help?”
Emily Yeiser Stepp, vice president of The National Dairy FARM Program and Dr. Eric Rooker with Dairy Doctors Veterinary Services in Plymouth, Wis., both offer tips to consider when reviewing FARM protocols.
Sad. Depressed. Suicidal. When dairy farmer Randy Roecker looked in the mirror, he never thought these words would reflect who he was. However, when the recession hit in 2008, Randy’s cheery mood began dwindling.
The debate to lower New York’s agriculture overtime limit to 40 hours has been postponed. New York dairy farmers anxiously await the proposed ultimatum, knowing if passed many farmworkers would find work elsewhere.
With the signup period for 2022 coverage under USDA’s Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program now underway, producers are eager to see how this spells out in terms of dollars and cents.
The statistics are alarming—according to Feeding America, 1 in 7 Americans struggle with hunger. It’s estimated 42 million people, including 13 million children, face food insecurity.
USDA announced today that open enrollment for the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program will begin Monday, Dec. 13 through Feb. 18. This year’s DMC signup includes enhancements that add more value to producers.
Dairy farmer Roger Herrera addressed labor at the recent 2021 Milk Business Conference and while labor shortages are not a new to the dairy industry, it continues to be a constant headache that producers battle daily.
Farmers are now redirecting their time to prepare year-ending tax prep work. Despite dealing with lackluster milk box prices this year and rising input costs, experts advise paying attention to year-end tax basics.
Ten for ten, USDA’s ag Prices report announced yesterday afternoon that the October 2021 Dairy Margin Coverage income over feed costs resulted in $8.77/cwt.
Travel to Laurens, South Carolina and you likely meet Glen and Marilyn Easter of Eastglen Jerseys, who can share not only their passion and wisdom of dairy farming, but their secrets to leading a happy life.
Sit down to watch a football game and you’ll likely see players sporting wristband playbooks, allowing coaches to improve communication between players. The same kind of concept is being used on dairy farms.
There has been a huge shift in consumer attitude towards food over the past four decades. Today’s consumer wants to know where their food comes from, how it was made and the succeeding impact on the environment.
Feed costs, labor costs and material increases all have increased the cost of production, resulting in a steep year-over-year decline in milk production that was illustrated in the recent USDA Milk Production Report.
The problem seems straightforward—you need someone to milk cows, feed cows or feed calves. Insert COVID-19 and labor shortages now into the picture and the answer to fill those vacant positions seems complex.