Guest Blog

Mexico imports nearly a quarter of the U.S. dairy industry’s exports annually. It’s a critical $1.4 billion marketplace. And it’s one that President Trump continues to risk damaging permanently – and unnecessarily.

Since the dawn of time, no food has been upheld as greatly as milk – until now. A recent collaboration between EAT Foundation and The Lancet (EAT-Lancet) produced a report on sustainable diets, which wants people to cut animal-sourced foods like milk and meat from their diets and instead fill their plates with more fruits, nuts, vegetables and grains in order to be healthier and reduce their environmental impact.

It is crucial to take time for yourself; however, working on a farm can make it very difficult to physically “get away.” One easy way to escape is by listening to podcasts. Whether you have 12 or 58 minutes, there is a podcast out there that can lift your spirits.

Those who know me well know that I’ve dealt with mental illness in some form since childhood. After surviving an abusive parent and a very traumatic divorce, I remember having my first panic attack in fourth grade and going on medication for anxiety and depression on and off throughout middle and high school.

I have to have a plan. I am constantly asking my husband, “What is the plan?” It drives him absolutely insane. It’s just how I am. I need to know what the day will look like, be able to glance at the week ahead and know what is coming up next month.

In June 2017, we embarked on what was going to be a roller-coaster ride for the next 16 months. It was that summer our dairy equipment company representative took the family on our first tour of robotic milking barns. We had started on the journey to modernize our dairy. As we went through the planning and construction, we learned many things. I want to share with you some of the things that we learned.