From its beginning in 1997, Calf Notes was created to share practical, science-based information with the people who care for calves every day. The original Calf Notes website was built on the idea that knowledge improves calf welfare only when it is accessible, understandable, and applied. That philosophy shaped not only what we published, but how we shared it—openly, without barriers, and with the expectation that better information leads to better decisions on farms.
As Calf Notes expanded beyond written articles into video-based education, the same question kept coming up: should this content be gated, subscription-based, or restricted in some way? We considered several models commonly used for online education, including paid courses and membership access. While those approaches can work in many contexts, they also introduce friction—especially for producers, students, and advisors who may only need a specific piece of information at a specific time.
Ultimately, we decided that limiting access was inconsistent with our mission. Calf management challenges do not wait for logins, and learning opportunities often arise in the middle of busy days. By keeping Calf Notes Academy content freely available, we remove unnecessary barriers and allow people to engage with the material when and how it is most useful to them—whether that’s watching a short animated concept, working through a longer training video, or revisiting a topic months later.
Calf Notes Academy exists to educate, not to sell education. The Academy is designed as a public resource that complements our consulting and software tools, while standing on its own as an open learning platform. By keeping all Academy content free and accessible, we stay true to the original spirit of Calf Notes: share good science, explain it clearly, and trust that informed decisions lead to better outcomes for calves, farms, and the people who work with them every day.