Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to listen to motivational speaker Dr. Rick Rigsby as he encouraged a room of dairy producers to grow their influence in the industry in a way that makes an impact, not just an impression.

When I was younger, I loved showing animals at the fair. I’ll admit, I was in it more for the fun than the cattle. Those calves and heifers were essentially my ticket in, so I didn’t mind the morning chores and occasional barn duty shifts.

“Exceptions are expensive,” said a dairy producer at a recent conference. This producer was explaining how his farm prefers to use sort gates to pull out cows that need attention after they are milked, as opposed to headlocks where the entire pen of cows is held up to treat those that are the exception.

Three years have passed since the dairy industry last came together for the Canadian Dairy XPO (CDX) in Stratford, Ontario. Much of the event will remain the same, while enhancements will provide an even better experience for the record-breaking crowd anticipated to attend April 5-6.

Where do you want to be in five years? What will your business look like? Do you have a plan to get it there? Are you directing your efforts toward that plan?