The ball has dropped! The confetti’s been tossed. The whistles have blown and the firecrackers and sparklers have burned to ashes. The old man of the year has staggered out and the babe of the New Year bounces in with hopes and dreams of the coming twelve months.

As I have reported, I am now assigned to the State Department as an active member of the Civilian Response Corps. There are about 200 of us from 11 federal agencies, including the Department of State, Department of Defense and U.S. Agency of International Development, staffing the majority of our active component. There are eight of us from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Click hereto see the first issue ofProgressive Dairyman – Canada. It is with great honour that I introduce you toProgressive Dairyman. From its beginnings more than 25 years ago,Progressive Dairyman’sfounder, Leon Leavitt, designed the publication to provide timely, professional information to dairy farmers in Idaho.

Christmastime always makes me remember the people and acts of kindness for which I have heartfelt gratitude. Private thank-you notes have been sent, but sometimes that’s just not enough to say how much I appreciate what’s been done. Public recognition is required.

A month ago, much of the world watched as all 33 Chilean miners were rescued after being trapped half a mile underground for 69 days. After the collapse occurred in early August, it took rescuers 17 days to even find out that any of the miners were still alive. Initially, it was estimated that the rescue efforts wouldn’t take place until closer to Christmas. But now, two months later, all 33 have been brought to safety. Although there are still a lot of details yet to be told, this survival story is nothing short of a miracle. For 17 days, these 33 men survived on a food supply that should have only lasted 48 hours. They carefully rationed the little food they had and made do with the substandard water found within the mine. So how did 33 trapped miners manage to maintain their sanity and survive underground for over two months? Was it luck, fate, science? I’d have to say it was probably a little of all three. But more than anything, I believe their survival was a result of faith and steady leadership.

Editor’s note: The following is an editorial opinion submitted to Progressive Dairyman by the author, who is the nutrition consultant for the dairy discussed. Read more about the incident he describes in this month’s issue of El Lechero. The news lead looked bland enough: Agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested two dairy farm owners in Michigan October 6, alleging the couple failed to fully and accurately complete I-9 forms for new hires. The owners of the Aquila Dairy farm were taken into custody on federal charges stemming from allegations that they “defrauded the government,” following an ongoing investigation by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE is a division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Christmas lights twinkle along sidewalks and glitter in store windows. Christmas carols softened the rush of shopping as people began to mimic the wise men who followed the star in the east and came to worship He who was born in Bethlehem. They brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

This year marked my 30th writing this column. The column runs in 150 papers around the country and in Canada. For the most part they can be described as trade publications, or as a smaller weekly or daily.