In the beginning, when God looked upon the vast chaos of eternity and the darkness of the water, He said, “Let there be light” and saw the light was good. He divided the light from the darkness and christened the day and night.

If you’re reading this, you know something I don’t: who won the World Cup. (Is it Brazil? Don’t tell me it’s Brazil.)

When was the last time you or your spouse left the farm? Running into town for parts, drugs or groceries doesn’t count. When was the last time you physically removed yourself from the place and went somewhere with a purpose other than what I just mentioned?

OK, class, I don’t even know how to start this one. I’ve read about a new trend that might make us some added income on the farm. You might be thinking, “Tim, I’ve already tried farm tours, baked goods and scrapping my husband’s ‘spare parts pile.’

The proliferation of plant-based milk on supermarket shelves today leads us to wonder, “Is there any hope for real milk? Is milk any different from milk alternatives, or will milk simply be replaced by manufactured beverages with laboratory-formulated ingredient lists?”

One of the things I’m known for in my family is my love of the Harry Potter book series. From the movies to the books, and even the books on CDs, I’m amazed at the brilliance that is J.K. Rowling, formerly a struggling single mother who had a vision of a boy with a scar on his forehead and turned it into a multibillion-dollar enterprise with fans clamoring for more, even more than a decade after the last book was published.

On behalf of Progressive Dairyman, we are pleased to bring you this issue of our magazine, with a special focus on new facilities and design.

Recently, our community held a fast for rain. The drought here has been the worst in my lifetime. Arizona has always been dry, but now it is burning up. We didn’t get the usual winter snow and spring rains, so we are fearful of forest fires – and with good reason.

Southern Italy can be a tough place to live. My girlfriend is a hardened product of its streets. She rode the public bus two hours to school each day while ignoring the perverse catcalls of nefarious men (and once a slap in the face from an old woman).

We all know dairy farmers are some of the smartest, most innovative and creative people in the world. Who else gets to do everything and be everyone? We get to be accountants, doctors, teachers, chefs … heck, some of us even have a bit of interest in robotics, microbiology, genetics, nutrigenomics and environmentalism.