So often, I just let life happen; I go from one task to another, one phone call to the next, one meal at a time from the fridge to the table. No thought. No planning. Just living one minute to the next .... I heard a saying once that haunts my mind every time I reach the whirlwind finish of another year.

Oftentimes we put the professional experts in this column – those with Ph.D.’s and other title acronyms behind their names. We appreciate them. We depend on them. They present instruction refined through the process of experience and training.

One of the biggest news stories last year was undoubtedly missing Malaysian Airlines Flight 370. The Boeing 777 left Kuala Lampur International Airport on March 8 heading towards Beijing and in mid-flight disappeared from all radar systems.

Lesson learned. If you think you can skip just one farm-related meeting, you are wrong. Whether it is a co-op, local FFA, fundraiser or church business meeting – you have to be there. I missed one last month, and much to my dismay I was voted director of events for the Farm and Quilt Fest.

Soil health is in the news. My agency, NRCS, is investing significant resources in soil health. I am pleased.The term soil health has multiple meanings, but we all can agree the term is rooted in the systems approach of managing soils.

The Professional Dairy Producers Foundation (PDPF) board of directors has made its funding decisions for education projects for dairy producers and their communities. The following projects will receive funding:

McLanahan Corporation has announced that its Nutrient Separation System has been selected by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) as a winner of an AE50 award.

The Midwest Manure Summit returns early in 2015. Held the last week in February, this biennial event will attract farmers and agri-business professionals from across the country to Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Heather Lord Central Plains Area Representative American Jersey Cattle Association Columbia, Missouri