More than 100 years ago, Minglewood Inc. began as a dairy operation with only six cows, a small tiestall barn and a lot of hope. Their current operation is a far cry from their humble beginning in 1894. Today, owners Kevin and Roxann Solum and their family milk 1,200 Holstein cows, manage eight DeLaval robotic milking systems and farm 2,800 acres of crops near Deer Park, Wisconsin.

Life in the agricultural community means many things to many people.

In agriculture, public criticism seems to come with the territory these days. As a farmer, it’s easy to get defensive when your livelihood is misunderstood. But sometimes, criticism is legitimate and change is needed.