Craig Harris says his great-grandpa and a bunch of his buddies were probably just sitting around one day doing what dairymen do – talking about cows – when the idea for Richmond Black & White Days was born.

It all started with a hamburger.The best kind of burger. Cooked over a grill, outside, amid friends.

Idaho dairy producers were told to get out in front of the trends, and the latest trend is a return to traditional shopping … with a digital twist. A record number of Idaho dairy producers heard the message and turned out for their annual meeting in Boise Nov. 12-13. At the meeting speaker, Phil Lempert, known as the “Supermarket Guru,” told producers to think about how they communicate with consumers. He suggested doing everything from product demonstrations in grocery stores to more online storytelling.

Sometimes the best business meetings don’t take place in a random conference room. They happen on a tour bus traveling through the Irish countryside and get better, it seems, after a pint or two of Guinness.

I had a great plan for the summer.Each day, the kids and I would tackle a project.