As I sit here in the waiting room of our local dance studio, trying to ignore the chatter of the other parents in an effort to squeeze in a few more working minutes of the day, I can’t help but notice the pictures on the wall. Hanging there is a decade’s worth of posters showing the full dance company from each year. Dressed in their recital attire, the children, ages 3 to 18, are all smiles as the moment they had worked for all year has finally arrived.

On Jan. 19, Caroline Emond began her position as executive director of Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC). Emond is a lawyer and lobbyist with more than 20 years of experience, including a previous position at DFC from 1998 to 2006. Before Emond had a chance to sit down in her new office, Progressive Dairyman Editor Karen Lee interviewed her to learn more about her experiences and what she will bring to the leadership of Canada’s largest dairy organization.

The Midwest Manure Summit returns early in 2015. Held the last week in February, this biennial event will attract farmers and agri-business professionals from across the country to Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Time is an extremely valuable commodity in my book. It is limited, and once spent, cannot be regained. Every day I try to use the 1,440 minutes I am given as wisely as possible. I find it is easy to fill my day with the tasks in front of me, such as writing this editorial piece, proofing materials for a conference program, calling in to a meeting or washing dishes at the end of the day.

“All You Need Is Cheese” (AYNIC) holiday in-store promotion was in full swing across Canada (excluding Quebec) this past December. Under the theme “Savour The Moment,” this campaign incited consumers to buy Canadian cheese and demonstrate the variety of holiday bites, hors d’oeuvres and treats that incorporate Canadian cheese.

Students across the country are receiving their midterm report cards. When was the last time you received a grade for your performance? In a webinar hosted by the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin, Dr. David Kohl, professor emeritus, Agricultural and Applied Economics at Virginia Tech, provided a format farm businesses can use to measure their financial and management performance.

Booth: DS61-64, DS75-78.GEA Farm Technologies GEA Farm Technologies is bringing an automatic milking solution for large dairy producers to the North American marketplace.

Throughout his career, Dr. David Kohl, professor emeritus, Agricultural and Applied Economics at Virginia Tech, has worked with agricultural enterprises from all over the country. In a webinar, hosted by the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin (PDPW), Kohl outlined the 10 practices that top-performing CEO dairy producers follow.