As I write this, I can hear the crunching of roof and tin being pulled away from our old dry cow barn on our dairy farm. The barn has been here for longer than I have. Shortly after we purchased our own herd, the barn became a dry pen. So, for the past 21 years, the barn has served as the place where basically all our animals calved.

Recently, I heard Dr. James Hewitt, a human behavior scientist and author, speak about the concept of regenerative performance. He spoke about how many of us are spending most of our time in middle gear. We need to approach our work more like a performance athlete would approach their training process.

I spent the day after Mother’s Day helping our hoof trimmer. Since our herd is relatively small, we do not have sort gates and chutes that maneuver cows in a different direction when needed.

As little kids growing up on the farm, we are always taught to stay busy. My dad used to tell us that if it was light outside, we should be outside doing something. Then, as we became adults working on the farm, we were told to have a plan. “Don’t get so caught up in the farm that you forget to focus on the farm,” they would say.

We all can remember situations when we felt out of place or like we didn’t belong. In that moment, time stood still. We stood there, feeling like a sore thumb, looking desperately for someone to make us feel like we were meant to be there.

Have you ever considered what your core values are? Or better yet, have you thought about what the core values are for your farm or business? Someone once said that core values can serve as a lighthouse when the fog of life starts circling around you.

The winter months, to me, are some of the most peaceful on our small dairy farm in Adams County, Pennsylvania. Because of our milking schedule, I often go to the barn when it is dark out, and the stars are bright in the sky.

An employee who has been with our team for nearly five years just turned in his resignation. He was the kind of employee that anyone would want. He does an excellent job in his role, works well with the rest of the team and doesn’t take a lot of oversight.

This is the time of year when I look out my window with a sense of dread at all the work I need to do. It’s not the field work or chores out in the barn that I see. It’s the weeds growing in the flower gardens that surround my house.

In January, I had the opportunity to volunteer at the Calving Corner, which is Pennsylvania’s live dairy cow birthing center at the Pennsylvania Farm Show.