Since the invention of the automatic milking machine, dairy producers have been milking in the dark. Dark liners and stainless steel shells have masked one of the most critical steps of milking – when the milk stream leaves the cow’s teat.

On February 20, 2010, Marvin and Patty Biese lost their big, red barn to a blaze. But from the ashes, the family found the opportunity to rebuild their dreams – bigger and better than before. That day, the Bieses were celebrating their 10-year wedding anniversary in Cozumel, Mexico. On one of very few multiple-day trips away from their 110-cow dairy near Wrightstown, Wisconsin, the couple was thousands of miles from home when they got the dreaded phone call telling them the old two-story barn where Marvin grew up milking cows and stacking bales was going up in flames.

The Animal Agriculture Alliance’s annual Stakeholders Summit was held in May. Every year at the alliance, when it comes to summit planning, we try to determine how to provide the most timely, insightful and relevant information to our attendees. We try to present the issues of the day, those most pressing affecting our industry in unique ways. We try and think about things differently and hope to inspire all participants to do the same.

Going through any transition can bring about emotions that may not have existed prior to the transition. A family business transition is time-consuming and requires a careful and thoughtful planning process because so many of these emotions come to the forefront. Not accounting for those emotions and overlooking the softer side of the transition process can lead to feelings of loss, hurt and bitterness, creating a rift that can last a lifetime.

Really? Could it be possible that your tractor would be calling your cell phone? Yes. In today’s new information-rich and connected world, new farm tractors and machines can be online and connected. To understand why all this is not just possible but an integral part of the future of farming, you can thank, at least in part, the EPA.

Organic dairyman Perry Clutts didn’t set out to be a farmer. “I was a bit of an environmental activist in my younger years. I later served time in the restaurant business and was a general contractor for 15 years,” he says. Today, Clutts is not only a farmer, but one who is committed to educating other farmers, his community and the public about the benefits of organic agriculture. In a way, he’s come full circle to his environmental activist roots.