Back in the ancient days of my youth, when I thought the answer to most of my problems would be a couple million dollars, I heard a motivational speaker tell the story of Hernán Cortés.

As equipment has become more and more sophisticated, greater emphasis has been placed on comfort and convenience – the so-called “bells and whistles.” These bells and whistles can quickly turn into rants and cursing when they fail and take the functionality of your machine with them. Tackling this topic was a challenge for this aging farmer simply because I recall the days when the tractor not starting was simply a battery or connection issue. While these can still be today’s culprits, increasingly we see the world of computers entering our tractors and implements, just as they have our automobiles.

The reality of time isn’t as rigid as it seems. According to Einstein’s theory of relativity, it is affected by various factors, including gravity and speed of motion. Time moves slower at higher elevations – being further from the earth’s pull.

Recently, I performed at an annual farm-related event. Someone thought it would be a nice idea to let two politicians give their spiel before I was to speak. It was like riding my bicycle behind a manure spreader.

There is fresh news out of the world’s newest country, South Sudan, which was formed just a few years ago. The news is not good. Readers of this column know I spent nearly eight months in South Sudan (about two years ago), and so I have an emotional as well as physical investment in this African country.

“I don’t want anyone to have to go through what we went through,” said David Fuhrmann, the president of Foremost Farms, the largest dairy cooperative in Wisconsin, to an audience of dairy cooperative members in Seattle, Washington, just a few weeks ago.

At the second annual Heat Stress Road Show held earlier this year, Dr. Robert Collier, a professor at University of Arizona, offered a few pieces of advice for dairy producers looking to minimize the negative impacts of hot summer days.

A Wisconsin farmer lost an appeals court ruling July 17 in a case over whether or not he could sell raw milk. Vernon Hershberger was convicted on May 25, 2013, of misdemeanor violation of a holding order filed by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP).

Summer is in full swing, and it is more important now than ever for dairy producers and nutritionists to know how to plan for and manage heat stress.