Smart Farming Week: March 10 - 16, 2025
Farm Journal’s Smart Farming Week is an annual week-long emphasis on innovation in agriculture. The goal is to encourage you to explore and prioritize the technology, tools and practices that will help you farm smarter.
In today's rapidly evolving agricultural landscape, more dairies are turning to Smart Farming technology to enhance efficiency, optimize resources, monitor herd health and maximize milk production. The integration of modern technological solutions is transforming traditional dairy farming, providing significant benefits that are reshaping the industry.
Smart dairy technologies streamline fixed tasks, giving farmers more time for important decisions—and even a little extra time for things they enjoy. In our case, that means finally being able to feel their fingers at the end of the day!
Move over, artificial insemination. Artificial intelligence has found its way onto dairy farms, and is revolutionizing the way calves are raised
Robotic milking can be a game-changer for labor efficiency, but it doesn’t totally eliminate hands-on work—especially when it comes to fetching cows.
Activity monitoring technology is giving producers a more precise and efficient way to detect heats.
As the dairy sector continues to embrace technological innovation, producers have an unparalleled opportunity to enhance their operations significantly. By working smarter and strategically incorporating technology, they can ensure better productivity and welfare and secure a promising future for their farms.
2025 IDFA Innovative Dairy Farmer of the Year award winner bridges tradition and innovation.
A decade into the partnership, GenoSource has grown into more than the original partners ever imagined. The dairy now involves eight families, who all love Holsteins and share a goal of creating a more sustainable future for the next generation.
Writing and recounting the journeys of dairy farmers from across the nation has been a substantial blessing. These stories are more than just accounts of labor; they are testimonies of passion, ingenuity, and a commitment to a way of life that feeds the nation.
Tracking rumination during the dry and transition periods helps producers identify at-risk cows early and implement preventive measures for better health and productivity.
Activity and rumination monitoring systems -- precision cow monitoring -- can revolutionize the way a dairy manages its cows. Or they can pile up frustrations and create greater expense without adding value.
With a resolute desire to continually improve, McCarty Family Farms has grown exponentially over the years thanks to determination, innovation, strategic planning and community support.
Elon Musk wants his futuristic Optimus robots to clean dishes and scrub carpets. But what if you wanted one of those creepy looking things working in your fields?
Three producers open up and share about their journey of innovation and technology as a way to spell longevity to their dairy operations.
Despite nearly 24 inches of snow, below-zero temperatures and raging winds that some people are affectionately calling “Death Storm #2,” Illinois livestock producers are finding ways to overcome the horrific conditions.
Bateman’s Mosida Farms in Utah is named the 2024 Innovative Dairy Farmer of the Year by the IDFA because of their ability to innovate and diversify to better care for their cattle and land.
Brian Geerlings recently bought a used sprayer and upgraded it with a See & Spray kit. He says weed control can cost $20 to $30 per acre, so being able to see and only spray weeds delivers a big savings.
There’s no good way to quantify just how much has changed for dairies since a robot milked its first cow over 25 years ago. And part of the reason for that is the great strides the technology has made in the last two decades.
In an industry where external factors like Mother Nature, milk markets, and regulations dominate, farmers have found solace in the few controllable elements of their operations. James Vander Waal, an Iowa dairy producer in Hull, is a prime example of how technology can be leveraged to enhance efficiency in dairy farming.
Do you ever wish you had a 24-hour herds person who never showed up late, never complained, and picked up on a problem with a cow better than you could? Well, that’s what automation has done for Jessica Pralle Trimner.
Mastering the intricacies of data management has become a vital role on today’s operations.
Alex Neuenschwander, a fourth-generation dairy farmer, is headed to the Indy 500 winners circle this weekend to hand out the iconic bottle of milk. His secret to success on the farm? Finding efficiency at every level.
Manny Salcedo discusses the three-step audit he and his team take to help them determine if investing in technology is likely to deliver on their dream of making management easier and the dairy business more profitable.
What are some of the hot new forms of technology dairy will likely see in the future?
With financial challenges facing dairy farms, Curtis Gerrits with Compeer Financial, says it is essential for producers to evaluate how these technology investments impact their farm’s overall financial position.
The SENSEHUB monitoring ear tag incorporates a blinking LED light so workers can quickly and easily locate those animals and apply appropriate interventions.
Once a technology becomes a boring experience it means it has become proven, well-adopted, and easy to utilize. There are three “boring” technologies silently shaping the industry.
Technologies for the farm are not one size fits all. A few of the considerations that should be made before choosing the right technology is how the technology fits, works, and costs.
The new 45Z tax credit passed in the Inflation Reduction Act, slated to take effect Jan. 1, 2025, means a farmer’s carbon intensity score will soon be worth more, especially if your corn goes to an ethanol plant.
Smart farming robotic technology is all in the name of cow comfort, efficiency and productivity.
As dairy tech continues to mature, new solutions must be designed with a keen focus on user experience, taking cues from Apple’s strategy.