An important issue at the forefront of agriculture is succession planning. Agriculture and the beef cattle industry take great pride that the highest percentage of farms and ranches are family-owned.

Would you buy your next herd sire or feed truck from someone you didn’t trust? I would presume not. People prefer to do business with people they can rely on, respect and trust. There is too much at stake to do business in an environment where you don’t feel comfortable.

As a young child, I remember my dad saying, “Children should be seen and not heard.” It was his way of telling me and my siblings or friends to tone it down, as we were most likely getting on his nerves with loud, high-pitched sounds of laughter and playing.

As December rolls in and the end of 2017 nears, now is a good time for reflection. Naturally, we are excited to start looking ahead and setting those New Year’s resolutions, wishing to put the last year behind us and rather focus on the excitement of planning for the future.

Recently, I had the opportunity to hear an amazing personal story of resilience and patience. Pete Ripmaster, ultramarathon runner and five-time Iditarod Invitational Trail participant, truly is a testament to enduring the impossible.

We have had the builders, the baby boomers, the generation Xers – and now the generation making influential impacts on society is called the millennials.

Inevitably, at some point in your employment duration, you will ask yourself, “Is it time for me to make a job change?”

As our consumers seek more information about the products we produce, our industry has started to realize the value in networking. When you read a statement on Facebook or in your local paper making a negative or inaccurate statement about the beef industry, your first reaction is to say, “That is not correct; I need to write a response.”