(See related photos and information on this topic in: Sharemilking: A viable, exciting business opportunity) "The conventional definition of management is getting work done through people, but real management is developing people through work." Joe Horner, University of Missouri Extension Commercial Agriculture Program, dairy economist, quoted a famous banker, as he explained the concept of sharemilking to hundreds of participants gathered in Joplin for the Missouri Dairy Grazing Conference in July 2010. Horner believes that the future of some Missouri dairies may lie in the adoption of a career path similar to the traditional New Zealand system, involving sharemilking leading to ownership.

Click here to download a pdf of the results from the PD Poll: "Should federal order reform change classified pricing to less than four classes?"

I am a big fan of the author Stephen R. Covey  and think there is great wisdom in many of the principles he teaches.

In these tough economic times when consumers and businesses are spending less, farmers should think carefully about how much money they want to borrow and how they would use it in their businesses, a Purdue University agricultural economist says. 

An owner’s responsibilities for running a small business can seem overwhelming. As a result, the delicate balancing act of allocating time to work on the business, as well as in the business, can result in too little time for family, personal interests and self-care.