Editor's note: The following is the last of two articles. In the August 11 issue of Progressive Dairyman, Bernard Erven explained the challenges and fears managers face during difficult times.

Life is all about choices. Some work out great, some not well at all. The key, though, is to always have a choice -- because the alternative is not pleasant. I have experienced such situations in my lifetime.

Here is a simple question: How much did the raw milk in that gallon of milk in the dairy case cost to produce?

These statements were made in the July 28 hearing before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy and Poultry.

As dairymen begin to work smarter and realize they must work within the laws of supply and demand concerning the production and distribution of their milk products so as to make a profit, various brainstorming ideas have been presented to eliminate unreasonable amounts of surplus milk or surplus milk altogether.

A few rain showers didn't deter 80,000 people from attending Farm Technology Days in Waterloo, Wisconsin, July 21-23.

Night light isn't just for your kid's bedroom. Dim light in your dairy barn may benefit your cows and improve your bottom line. It offers a solution to the dilemma for farmers milking 3X and wanting to use long day lighting, i.e. providing darkness for cows or light for workers during the night.

Many recent high school and college graduates are questioning if there is a future in the dairy industry due to the depressed economic outlook. In the past two years, I have worked with a number of dairy and crop producers in Zambia and Uganda teaching agribusiness principles to improve the profitability of their farms.

Sarah Stodola spent most of her childhood in California. She had an interest in farming from the time she was 16, but since she didn't grow up on a farm, she didn't think she could get into the industry.

Brenda Arnold of Drexel, Missouri, can tell other young people that being involved in the agriculture industry is important for success in a dairy career -- because she knows from experience.