"Our top priority on our farm is cow health and comfort" said Scott Millard, who owns and operates Millard Dairy Farm in Pierpont along with his father, Gaylord and help from Pat, Gaylord's wife and brother David. This family farm of nearly 700 acres milking about 250 cows is a good example of today's efficient, family farms that provide our abundant, safe food at reasonable prices.

"We don't need the Humane Society of the United States coming to Ohio trying to tell us how to farm" commented Gaylord as we were talking about challenges facing dairy farming today. "We have safe guards in place with all kinds of inspection and testing of our milk to keep it safe and healthy and we need to let Ohio people speak for Ohio agriculture and set our own standards", he added.

Milk cows on this farm are housed in free stall barns where they have access to feed and water at all times and can exercise anytime. Sawdust is used for bedding in the stalls and floors are covered with rubber mats to protect the cows feet and legs. "If their running gear doesn't work (feet and legs) they won't eat and milk production drops" Gaylord said.

A hoof trimmer comes in once a month to trim hoofs and help keep cows comfortable.

Getting feed to the livestock requires care and precision. A nutritionist comes in once a week to recommend a nutritionally balanced feed ration for the herd. Using what is called a total mixed ration, the feed includes corn silage, haylage, corn meal, soybean meal, beet pulp, molasses and a mineral mix. These ingredients are mixed together in a special wagon that has scales so they know just how much of each goes into the mix.

Cows are milked three times a day in a double eight, raised milking parlor. Each cow produces about 70 pounds or over eight gallons of milk a day. Milk is immediately cooled down to under 40 degrees and kept at that temperature for excellent quality until the bulk tank truck picks it up. Artificial insemination is used to breed cows and produce quality young stock.

To help keep track of the herd, including milk production, cow pregnancies and herd health, a computer is an important tool. Most family farms today make good use of computers to help manage their farm operations.

About 560 acres of land are planted to crops each year. This includes about 230 acres of corn, 60 acres of soybeans, 20 acres of wheat and 250 acres of hay. Corn and hay are put into long, round airtight plastic bags where it ferments to become silage that the cattle enjoy. Years ago, and on many farms today, silage is stored in tall, upright silos and large bunkers on the ground.

"Planting crops is a precise operation these days," says Scott. "For example, corn needs to be all planted at the same depth, or it doesn't come up at the same time and yields suffer".

Livestock waste goes into a lagoon where it is hauled out on the land to provide organic matter and plant nutrients. Large spreaders that will handle the liquid waste are used.

When asked her role on the farm, Gaylord's wife Pat said " I'm a gofer", meaning she goes for parts or whatever else is needed on a busy farm today. "I also feed the calves," she added.

Serious health problems have limited Gaylord the past several years but he says he is doing well now. When health problems strike a farm, someone else has to step in and pick up the jobs that need to be done. This is sometimes not easy.

Family farms large and small produce our food in this country. The Millard Dairy Farm is a good example of one of those farms. "But low milk prices last year and today have made it difficult for us to make a reasonable family income," Gaylord commented.