It has been a long, hard winter. Many could argue that is the nature of the season – to which I’d agree – but in my book, these last few months seemed to take it a bit further than usual.

The African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child,” could easily be transposed to read, “It takes a village to run a dairy farm.”

I don’t care for the snow and cold of winter much, but I do love this season because everything seems to slow down a bit more than usual.

As I am writing this, Halloween candy is quickly being pulled from shelves to make room for Christmas candy, lights, ornaments, decorations, gift wrap, cards, etc. – a clear sign the holidays are approaching. It is a joyous time to cap off the end of another year.

Thanksgiving: A time when we gather with family and friends to give thanks for the many blessings we have in our lives.

I recently met one Ontario farm couple that has a lot to be thankful for this year. Even though they suffered a terrible fire on their dairy in July, in which more than 100 animals were lost, Clarence and Wendy Markus are thankful no person was hurt and the animals did not suffer long.

Nowhere in my original plans for this issue are the words “robot” or “automatic,” yet when I page through this magazine I’m about to present to you, I find it weighs heavily on the topic.

I learned long ago you can’t time the news. In the magazine business, we try to plan out what we can. In fact, our schedule for 2014 has already been established. However, we also remain flexible to include timely information.

I pledge:
my head to clearer thinking,
my heart to greater loyalty,
my hands to larger service,
my health to better living,
for my club, my community and my country.

The 4-H pledge was one of the first sayings that I had to commit to memory. As a young member of the South Side Eagles 4-H Club, I could have been called upon at any meeting to lead the club through its recitation.

Summer is here, and I’m excited! I do enjoy certain elements of winter, spring and fall, and I am glad that I live in a seasonal climate, but summer is by far my favourite time of year. It’s so nice to see everything alive and well after a long winter. The noises from the pond outside my office window have quieted down since spring, as well as the traffic from the nearby fertiliser plant. Now aside from the click-clack of my keyboard, all I can hear is the hum of a passing car and the birds chirping outside.

Most dairy producers I’ve talked to tell me they farm because they love the outdoors, they love working with animals, they love operating equipment and they love working in the fields. Rarely do I hear it’s because they love producing a high-quality beverage for infants or the elderly.

I’ve always said farms are like snowflakes: There are no two alike. One of the best parts of my job is that I get to see a lot of farms. When I started in this field about a decade ago, I probably should have begun a tally of every farm I visited. I’m guessing by now it would be in the hundreds. Some of my most memorable visits are to farms in other parts of the country, or other countries, for that matter. Each region, climate, government, economy, etc. impacts how each dairy is set up and operated.