Early in 2017, milk market security weighed heavily on our minds. While our market is safe and our creamery has not dropped any patrons, we were looking for ways to be more profitable and secure a future market for our milk. Now, just a year later, I’m selling my very own Moore Family Farms cheese.

Successful business people and achievers in all fields set goals. Setting goals gives us long-term vision and short-term motivation. The short-term goals we set for ourselves allow us to stay on track toward achieving our long-term dreams and visions.

Happy 2018! It is nearly one month into the new year, and it may be time to adjust or redefine your resolutions to turn them into reality over the next 11 months. It is never too late to set new goals and intentions for the year, and it is important to remember that successful goals continue to evolve over time.

Since my father passed away, I have spent time thinking about heritage and what I am leaving as a legacy for my children. I am not talking about worldly goods. I am referring to memories and things of value. I know it is fun to take out a treasured heirloom and think about the past.

Balancing work and family life is difficult for anyone, but it can be especially challenging for those who live and work with their family. On a dairy farm, it is easy to get caught up in the pressures of the day-to-day tasks coupled with the other stresses farming can bring and forget about the roles that matter most in our lives.

It was a beautiful, warm, late-summer afternoon, and I was enjoying every minute of it. I was busy baling a heavy third crop of alfalfa hay off of my upper-marsh hay field. I was baling hay with my old 276 New Holland hay baler I had bought used 24 years before from John, who was the implement dealer in my hometown.

My parents packed their bags and came to visit me on what they termed their “once-in-a-lifetime trip.” Being farmers, their opportunity to travel locally was limited, let alone to Europe. When I asked them what they wanted to see, they simply replied it didn’t matter – it was up to me to decide.

I know I’m not the only one who has ever waited, waited and waited for a return phone call from a parts dealer, repair person, salesperson or loan officer. Seriously, how do some of these people even stay in business? They always tell me, “I’ll get back with you later today,” or “We should be out there tomorrow.”

Farm Credit East recently hosted its annual dairy outlook webinar featuring nationally recognized dairy economist Dr. Mark Stephenson of University of Wisconsin – Madison, along with commentary from Farm Credit East loan officer Corey Kayhart and business consultant Gregg McConnell.

“In order to influence others, you need to give them something to hold on to,” political commentator Dana Perino told 2017 Dairy Strong attendees. Perino served as press secretary to President George W. Bush and is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s The Five.