From the Editor

Today we introduce a small change with a big meaning. We have removed “man” from our name plate in order for the second part of our name to be as open-minded as the first. With the removal of that three-letter word, our editors reaffirm their commitment to every dairy producer and all the industry professionals who support them.

One of the lingering side effects of growing up on a dairy farm is that I continue to wake up before 5 a.m. – despite being removed from the morning milking schedule for several decades.

Our cover photo features the adorable doppelgänger daughter of Editor Audrey Schmitz. When Audrey and I were planning the cover image for this year’s June Dairy Month issue, I knew I wanted to see yogurt as a key component. I Googled something along the lines of “first birthday photo shoot with yogurt.”

When you see and work with the same animals every day, it is natural to have some biases and de-sensitivity to things you see constantly or things that change slowly over time. “That is how she looks every day, so it must be normal.”

It was just a few weeks ago I finally got the call. The one I knew would someday come but still wasn’t quite prepared to receive.

Near the beginning of every year, political leaders at every level step to lecterns to give their “state of” reports. Business leaders issue updates on company financials and targets, and time is devoted in every organization’s annual meeting to review numbers and trends.