Editor’s note: Progressive Dairyman features recipients of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy’s eighth annual U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards. Three farms – Cinnamon Ridge Farms of Donahue, Iowa; Majestic Crossing Dairy of Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin; and Philip Verwey Farms of Hanford, California – were recipients of Outstanding Dairy Farm Sustainability awards. In addition to the Outstanding Dairy Farm Sustainability honorees, General Mills and Foremost Farms were recognized for Outstanding Dairy Supply Chain Collaboration, and Gleaners Community Food Bank was recognized for Outstanding Community Impact.

It goes without saying how much your national and local checkoff staffs care about dairy farmers. We understand how difficult this year has been for you, and there is nothing harder than watching families we know exit the industry.

Video games, participation ribbons and obscene amounts of time spent on social media don’t develop work ethic, instill values or build self-esteem. But showing cattle can do all that and more to prepare adolescents and teens for the world ahead.

There has been a lot of talk about plant-based diets lately, and many dairy farmers have asked me what that means for dairy foods.

See a need: Contrary to the image of fresh air and peaceful surroundings, thousands of farmworkers are injured, and hundreds more die in farming accidents every year.

For farmers and other members of the dairy community, the current environment is challenging. From unpredictability facing our global markets and competition from non-dairy beverages to seasonal weather conditions and surplus dairy products and ingredients, there’s a lot of uncertainty facing U.S. dairy.

Three years ago, 12 leading industry cooperatives came together to rally around a shared concept: Manure is a product and not a problem.

County fair season may be coming to an end, but those youth looking forward to exhibiting their dairy projects at the next level are just gearing up for national shows this fall.

When packing supplies to go to the show, the very best way to accomplish the task so nothing is left at home is to walk yourself through the day at the show.