There are hundreds of fascinating bloggers who love to share their passion and knowledge about agriculture and farming. The bloggers we've chosen provide engaging dairy blogs for their readers, free resources and tools, as well as entertainment. We have compiled 6 of the Top Dairy Blogs for 2017 for you:
(1) Irish Farmerette
Starting off our list at number 1 is the ‘Irish Farmerette’, a blog authored by Lorna Sixsmith, who along with her husband Brian are dairy farmers in the South-East of Ireland. What we like the most about Lorna’s blog is her unique storytelling which farmers all over are surely able to relate to. Lorna tells it how it is and is open to receiving and giving constructive criticism. Below is an excerpt from our favourite post of Lorna’s titled “8 Farming things that really bug me at the moment’ a humorous but also serious post that will surely be popular with Herdwatch users who have not yet read Lorna’s blog.
“I’m getting increasingly irritated by so many articles criticising farmers for working long and for all the other mistakes they make! The reality is that most farmers work 40 hours by Wednesday second breakfast. Don’t make them feel guilty about it, it’s part of what we expect. So yes, I tend to say “f**k off” when reading such an article and lob the paper/magazine into the recycling bin.”
As we said before, Lorna is not one to keep her thoughts to herself! Lorna has also written a trilogy of books since 2013 which we recommend Herdwatch users read if they get the chance. Check out the ‘Irish Farmerette’ blog here. http://www.lornasixsmith.com/
(2) Milk Maid Marian
The ‘Milk Maid Marian’ blog is authored by Marian McDonald, a dairy farmer from Victoria, Australia. Marian lives with her husband and her two children on their farm. The people here at Herdwatch love Marian’s blog as she is a great resource for dairy farmers worldwide. She informs her readers about the experiences she has enjoyed on the farm throughout her life and provides tips on raising calves and determining the quality of their milk. Below is an excerpt from her post “Infectious farm life” where Marian describes why she chose to become a farmer.
“I did not choose to become a farmer ‘for the lifestyle’ because it’s harder than you’d think. It certainly wasn’t for the money. My decision to buy out the farm was something I found hard to explain to my incredulous accountant even though it could not have been clearer to me. My childhood was filled with feeding calves, riding ponies, priming pumps, dodging snakes and learning how to drive. That stuff, the snuffling of grazing cows and the wildness of the farm through its changing seasons got under my skin.”
Be sure to give Marian’s blog a look, it’s one of the best. https://milkmaidmarian.com/
(3) The Dairy Mom
The ‘The Dairy Mom’ is a blog created by Brenda Hastings who lives with her husband and two sons in Northeast Ohio, America. Brenda loves to reveal her experiences on the farm and sharing current dairy topics from her own perspective. Below is a piece from her blog post “Hastings Dairy Tours & Milk from Farmstead Creamery” which describes the tours the Hastings family have on offer to the public on their family farm.
“This farm adventure allows young children and caregivers to take a wagon ride around the farm, pet the calves, ride the cow train, play and have fun! Arrive by 10am and plan to be at the farm until 12pm to take part in all of the activities. Milk will be available to taste and buy."
Follow Brenda’s blog here http://thedairymom.blogspot.ie/
(4) Guernsey Dairy Mama
This blog, authored by ‘Darleen Sichley’ details the life of a third-generation dairy farmer. Darleen employs elegant writing and dairy farming expertise. Check out this excerpt from her post “2016 Year End Review: Agvocacy.”
“I started 2016 on a very exciting note as I was offered the opportunity to write for the ‘Hoards Dairyman Blog, HD Notebook’. I seriously can’t tell you how much that offer meant to me. Growing up reading Hoard’s it has been a huge honour to write for them.”
Darleen is taking the dairy-blogging world by storm and has accumulated a large following on all social media channels.
To keep up with her content in 2017, click here http://www.guernseydairymama.com/
(5) A Farm Wife
‘A Farm Wife’ chronicles the life of a farm wife who has been married for 41 years and raised four sons. This blog details the life of a typical farmer and the use of imagery and colour is eye-catching and attractive for readers. Below is an excerpt from the post ‘To Non-Farm Friends, Neighbours and Strangers’.
“No, we are not rich because we have all those silos, tractors, cows land or whatever. All those things are tools for us to do our job. They are expensive and necessary. Many times, they breakdown causing more expense. The weather is either our best friend or worst enemy when it comes to our crops.”
‘A Farm Life’ is an entertaining blog, authored by a farm wife who has an abundance of experience working on a farm and provides insights that all farmers can relate to.
Check out the blog here https://www.afarmwife.com/
(6) Modern-day Farm Chick
Anneliese is a dairy farmer from Wisconsin and she was born and raised on her family’s 1500 cow dairy farm. Anneliese enjoys writing light-hearted posts, providing tips on agriculture and calf raising. Below is an excerpt from her post “What does your farm say about you?”
“So, I think an important question is ‘what does your farm say about you?’. Do you have junk lying all over the place? Are weeds taking over every corner? I know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but first impression is everything.”
Check out Anneliese’s blog here at http://moderndayfarmchick.com/
Be sure to check out these dairy farmers' opinions and feel free to let us know of other bloggers you believe are on the way up.