You’re busy – milking cows, managing employees and getting ready for winter. With that in mind, Progressive Dairyman looks at issues in the news impacting you and your dairy business. In recognition of your time, we’ll attempt to summarize recent events or actions making dairy headlines and reported in our weekly digital newsletter, Progressive Dairyman Extra.

By now, you’ve likely seen the advertisements for our new, tablet-and-smartphone-friendly digital edition, or perhaps you read Walt Cooley’s editorial from the Oct. 1 issue. If you haven’t had time to explore it yourself, allow me to walk you through some of its unique features.

It’s football season, and my team is at the top of the division. Football has me thinking about team dynamics, but not just sports teams – also farm teams.

During difficult economic conditions, farmers face many challenges that can lead to stress and anxiety about the future of their farm and family. When a farm ceases to turn a profit, and debt is piling up, it is time to examine what options are available to ease the burden.

As cheese production and consumption has grown over the last 20-plus years, so has the production of whey. In the early years of cheese-making, whey was considered a waste product that needed to be disposed of.

While working alongside dairy producers, I hear a lot of myths about raising heifers. Producers often end up “hoarding” their heifers, even though the investment required to raise every heifer is draining their bank account.

Against the backdrop of the Tuscarora mountains, a half-mile from the busy road into town, she’s out to the barn by 3:30 a.m., milking by 3:45 while herdsman Anthony Yeager feeds and scrapes.

Life is always changing. Embracing that truth is essential for personal growth. To help with this process, remember these three principles: You get out what you put in, mind over matter and just be.

Everything starts with a question. How do feed transitions impact rumen development? What protein and fat levels do calves need to reach their full potential?

Today, women are heavily involved in the dairy industry and support it in a variety of roles. Many thanks are credited to our foremothers for serving as role models and demonstrating to us their determination.