Do not let the title of this column fool you into thinking that I am about to address Division 1 college sports.

I had the chance to attend the 2009 European Association of Animal Production meeting. It’s always interesting to learn about agriculture in other places.

“How am I doing?” Nearly all employees want an answer to this question.

The combination of low milk prices and high feed costs have put the industry under a great deal of stress, making it important for herd managers to begin thinking like a chief financial officer (CFO) – someone who is fully invested in the long-term financial health of the company.

Ask a group of 50 people to fold a sheet of paper and make an airplane and you will likely get a variety of shapes and styles – from this very simple task.

In the spring of 1996 I was attending the University of Delaware while still living at my parents’ home in Sussex County, Delaware.

This past year was an economic challenge for every dairy producer in the country. Four brave producers shared the operational strategies they employed in 2009 and the lessons they learned during a producer panel to close out the Vita Plus Dairy Summit on December 3 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Our society is facing fundamental changes in its dynamics, influenced by an economical downturn, change in markets and new demands in family life.

“What should I do when an applicant tells me he should make more than our dairy’s established starting wage because he has worked at another dairy before?”

During September, October and November of 2009, we have seen milk prices begin to recover.