It was the very first day of the new year, a Sunday, and although I’m not really a resolution-maker per se, I was determined to start the year off right. It was a few minutes before daylight when I slipped out the door to get after the morning chores.

I’ve been fortunate to grow up in the cow business. From the time I was young, I traveled with a professional cattle photographer to all parts of the country, showed cattle across North America and attended hundreds of sales, as my father was a sale manager.

I worked for Don Tobler years ago, and closely with his son Harmon. At first it was an all-Jersey dairy farm. Then the butterfat premium for the milk they sold was changed, and they slowly moved to an all-Holstein herd.