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The annual Pennsylvania Farm Show, held each January in Harrisburg,Pennsylvania, is the largest indoor agricultural exposition in the country.

Put yourself in this situation. Your son, your daughter, another family member or a friend has just decided to become a member of a school or other sports team. As you think of them beginning this new adventure, what would you like for them to find as they join the team? Focus on what you hope they find as they join the team, not the end product of a winning season.

Most readers are probably aware that the recent rally in milk prices is historically significant in that the nearly-$3-per-hundredweight (cwt) climb in futures prices is quite rare. The last time we witnessed milk prices and underlying spot cash cheese values this high during January was back in 2008.

As a dairy producer, many different issues and risks are pulling you in a thousand different directions. As you began this new year, you probably assembled a list of priorities, such as a list of things to change or a list of things you’d like to get a better handle on.

“My wife tells me I don’t compliment [my employees] like I should, or pat guys on the back. I sit and listen and talk and joke with the guys, but I’m usually pretty serious and feel like we’re always behind. I have been trying to do more of that ‘good job’ thing, but it’s just not my nature. I should, but I don’t.”

Nearly every day, a dairy producer asks us if we know of anyone looking for work. Milkers and herdsmen are in great demand here in the Midwest, and many feeder and manager positions are open as well. As your business grows or an employee moves on, you are tasked with hiring a quality employee. While you may dread this process, employees are the lifeblood of any business.