I’ve often wondered over the years if other professions were encouraged to advocate for themselves in the way farmers and ag industry representatives are. I’ve seen my fair share of teacher appreciation posts on social media, and I know there are plenty of blogs from nurses and other health care professionals.

For many years, the Fry family in Chestertown, Maryland, was able to straddle the line of conventional farmer and organic farmer. In 2000, the family began producing organic grain and forage because Horizon had moved one of their dairies to nearby Kennedyville.

I saw a post on social media the other day that said, “OK, Christmas is over. I’m ready for summer.” That got me wondering if post-holiday depression is a real thing (spoiler: it is), and how many people it affects. According to Psych Central, a leading mental health website, as many as 25 percent of Americans suffer from depression, ranging in severity, after the holidays.

You don’t earn a name like the “Udder Doctor” without knowing a thing or two about the inner workings of the mammary system. Dr. Andy Johnson, based in Seymour, Wisconsin, has 40 years of experience as a veterinarian and has served as a dairy consultant across the U.S. and in 26 countries.

Research reveals that families tend to postpone difficult communication, particularly topics that involve multiple generations of a family, like caregiving. This delay of tough discussion often leads to poor decision-making, especially during times of crisis.

The 2016 Women in Dairy Conference, held Nov. 2 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, closed out with a panel discussion on the topic of farm diversification. The panel featured three female dairy farmers who opened up about how they have diversified their family operations.

As we head into the Christmas season, I’ve been thinking a lot about traditions. This is my first Christmas as a wife. My husband, Scott, and I began compromising on family traditions last Christmas as an engaged couple, but this year it feels a little more official.

The only thing that is constant is change, and the only way to make sure your business is progressing is being willing to change.

Our annual “State of the dairy industry” issue is where we take stock of where the industry has been in recent years, what the present picture looks like and what the future holds.

At the 2015 Pennsylvania Dairy Summit, two dairy farmers shared their experiences in growing grass forages. What follows are the comments from their presentation. Following the presentations, the two farmers were joined by Tim Fritz, president and general manager of King’s AgriSeeds, to answer questions from the audience.