Decide today that you are going to become more self-aware and self-controlled around the way you communicate to your farm team. I strongly believe good communication is the foundation of successful farms. Talking and listening well is the ultimate risk management tool.

It’s an exciting time when the next generation determines that they are going to pursue a career on the farm.

There are many overlapping systems in play on a family farm. Your family circle is your nuclear family which relates to your parents or in-laws, and your siblings, who may also be business partners or farm heirs.

Conflict is not bad. Unresolved conflict is hurtful, frustrating and diverts good management energy toward drama. It is time for new tools.

Emotional intelligence has become a significant topic for development and mentoring as well as a key criterion for management and leadership positions.

Unfortunately, there is no magic recipe that will guarantee the preservation of your family relationships and the perpetuation of the dairy. There are, however, five key ingredients that if not planned for will almost assuredly lead to blackened heartache, tasteless family dynamics and burned chances of the dairy succeeding generationally.

Livestock producers can enhance success by identifying and exploiting their competitive advantage in relation to their competition.