In upcoming articles, I’ll go into more detail about what you can expect from this column. For this issue, however, I’d like to take a moment to help you better understand the person behind the page.

“Building a better herd gives you more options,” says Dean Meinholz, herdsman at Blue Star Dairy Farms in DeForest and Arlington, Wisconsin. Dean is referring to the decision made eight years ago to genomic test the Holstein herd – creating more flexibility with incoming heifers and additional revenue with beef-on-dairy calves.

In our breakneck-speed society, we have invented marvelous tools to make sure we are going the right direction. We have evolved eons past the astrolabe and the North Star. Yet, with all this concern about directions in our physical world, we don’t seem so concerned about our spiritual direction.

To me, calf raising is a continuous journey of learning, hands-on experiences and skill development. That said, the key is to stay focused and avoid overthinking or overcomplicating the process.

Average people and small companies found a way to help in a time of shared crisis. People looked to the simple things around them to make a difference, choosing to take a long shot at helping someone they didn’t know, even if it cost them an advertising opportunity on their packaging. 

With the ever-changing value of both replacement heifers and beef-on-dairy crosses at the front of many producers’ minds, optimizing inventory of both streams of calves has become a crucial element of producer strategy. Effectively managing the interplay of the two begins in the dry cow pens.

I spent a good portion of 2025 on the road – from Michigan to Maine to Kansas and beyond – visiting farms and local promotion boards. Each visit offered a window into the innovation, dedication and teamwork that define dairy farming today.