I feel satisfaction as we bottle or freeze the summer’s bounty in preparation for the winter months ahead. I enjoy seeing the kids head back to school and settling into a new routine with their busy schedules. In some ways it almost feels like a new year is beginning.

Late summer is also the time we, at Progressive Publishing, plan for our “new year” ahead. We prepare media kits, announcing our editorial calendars and advertising options.

We evaluate what we have done over the course of the past year and where we want to go in the future. We set individual, team and company goals. During and after this process, I always feel energized and recommitted to doing what I can to help the company succeed.

For us, success is measured, in part, by our ability to provide great service to our readers and our advertisers. We are grateful for the opportunity we have to interact with each of you and hope that we can continue to provide you with tools and resources that will help you be successful, as well.

To that end, I want to share with you just a couple of projects we will be working on in the days ahead that we believe will benefit many of you.

As you may or may not already know, in addition to Progressive Forage Grower, we also publish a magazine called Progressive Dairyman, which provides forward-thinking dairy producers current news, market reports, and dairy and business management articles 18 times per year.

Starting in January 2011, Progressive Cattleman will join our ranks. It will provide beef producers with monthly practical, unbiased operation and management articles, timely news and cutting-edge technology.

Read more about this exciting new magazine on page 19 of this issue, then complete and return the free subscription request form if this is something you would be interested in receiving (you can update your subscriptions to Progressive Forage Grower and/or Progressive Dairyman on the same form, too).

The other project I’m excited about is our website and “extra” e-newsletter content. Did you know that new material, often not even included in the print magazines, is uploaded to our website each week?

If you have an e-mail address and want to be able to receive even more quality content and announcements when new content is posted, sign up today to receive the Progressive Forage Grower extra (or for other magazines).

If you are a Facebook or Twitter user, I would like to invite you to find us at www.facebook.com/ForageGrower and www.twitter.com/ForageGrower. (@ForageGrower) We’ll also be using these methods to communicate with you and stay connected.

I would also encourage you to let us know how we can best serve you. Are there topics you would like to see us cover in the coming year? Do you know a great producer in your area? Have you had problems or faced challenges that we could address in articles in future issues? Call or send me an e-mail with your feedback.

And finally, what about you? As another harvest season starts to wind down, do you take time to reflect about the months gone by and to make plans for next year? Do you make note of the positive things that have happened or things you have done well? Do you examine your operation to see if there are areas where you could improve or do better?

I hope you will take time to evaluate where you are now and where you would like to be in the future. Do an honest assessment and set some goals to keep you headed in the right direction. Look for opportunities to make changes that will make the “new year” ahead even better than the one before.  FG

Lynn Olsen
Progressive Forage Grower Editor