(click hereto listen to a podcast of this column) The scriptures are full of references to repentance. On the day of Pentecost, Peter called for repentance. He “said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38).

How’s harvest going for you? With harvest season soon drawing to a close, hopefully you know where you stand with your equipment in terms of repairs and maintenance. For those expecting a late harvest, there will be a big push to get the crop from field to storage, which will not only put pressure on operators and owners, but will also put tremendous pressure on the equipment. This is the time to start refocusing on our record-keeping skills. Although record-keeping is a must year-round, it is very important to pay attention to even the smallest details when working your equipment day in and day out.

My dairy background: My dairy background started 65 years ago (approximately 44 years before I was born!), when my grandpa moved our herd to its current location. My two sisters and I are the 4th generation to dairy farm in our family. Year in school and area of study: I am currently a senior, graduating at the end of this winter quarter, majoring in agricultural communications with a minor in animal science. If I wasn’t studying agriculture/dairy, I would be ... traveling the world. I love to see new, beautiful places!

Hometown: Garrett, Indiana My dairy background: Growing up as the middle child with two brothers, I worked on my family’s fifth-generation, 200-cow dairy, 5,000 annual market hog operation, and I helped to maintain nearly 2,000 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat and hay. Year in school and area of study: I am currently a senior at Purdue University majoring in agricultural economics with a minor in farm management and animal sciences. If I wasn’t studying agriculture/dairy, I would be ... most likely majoring in horticulture to start my own greenhouse business.

Hometown: Tillamook, Oregon My dairy background: My grandpa started our dairy about 50 years ago in Forest Grove, Oregon. In the mid-70s we relocated to Tillamook. My dad now owns the dairy, which has about 200 head of registered Jerseys (with two Brown Swiss and a Holstein thrown in there). Other than employing one milker, the farm is operated by my father, one of my three brothers and myself. I go back to the farm, which is about 100 miles from OSU, every weekend to work. We take pride in having a family-run operation. Year in school and area of study: I am currently a sophomore in agricultural sciences, with a minor in animal sciences.

Hometown: Frederick, Oklahoma My dairy background: My two younger sisters and I are third generation from both sides of the family and the second generation in the U.S. Our family currently milks 4,000 cows on two facilities. Year in school and area of study: I am a junior at Oklahoma State University majoring in Animal Science with a business emphasis and a minor in agricultural economics. If I wasn’t studying agriculture/dairy, I would be ... working somewhere in the dairy industry, as that is where my passion has always been in life.