The thought “farmers’ follies” came to mind recently while evaluating some dairy farms as part of a national herd evaluation process. The Oxford Dictionary describes a folly as a “foolish act, idea or practice, unwise conduct, lack of good sense”. It is surprising that some management actions used by dairy farmers borders on these descriptions. Is this because of a lack of knowledge of the science of dairy farming or is it because of poor advice? The result of this is that many farmers suffer financially because of incorrect advice, a lack in trust in the correct advice and a poor flow of knowledge between research institutions, research and extension officers to farmers.