From the Editor

When I meet readers in person, they often ask me: “What are you seeing out there? What’s new?”

One of the things I’m seeing frequently is an emphasis on training and employee development.

This past summer our staff was so impressed with the many photos and messages sent to our office. You took your magazines with you in your camper to the woods or in your boat on the lake. The main message you sent was: Sometimes you must get away to catch up.

In my father’s milk herd, there is one little Jersey that stands out in contrast to a whole herd of Holsteins. Although she doesn’t stand taller than the rest or match the consistent black and white, she isn’t afraid of being different.

Many of my Progressive Dairyman articles address topics without a direct impact on cows, calves, facilities or feed. Such is the case with this month’s feature (“Take this dairy farm to be your life”), in which we dive into the emotional topic of generational transfers within the potential legal entanglements of divorce or death.

For some, it’s the scent of sunscreen, barbecue or citronella – but to me, nothing says summertime like the sweet smell of fresh-cut hay.

Authors in our publication write about the difficulty of succession in business. (See this issue’s article about the challenges of succession when siblings are involved, Sibling partners: a special family business stage.) Recently, the Wall Street Journal captured J.W. Marriott’s thoughts on succession.