As we come to the close of 2013, it is a great time for all of us to reflecton what we’ve accomplished in the past year and what our goals should be inthe coming year. Is it time to expand our dairy operation? Where are the feedmarkets going to be in 2014? Is this the year we sell the cows and start milkingreindeer?

At Progressive Dairyman, we strive to provide you with practical dairyoperation news and tips to help your dairy grow and succeed. The informationfound on these two pages is no different … except, uh, it may only apply to aboutthree of you. Granted, it’s a niche market, but it’s a niche market we wanted toexplore this holiday season.

Click hereor on the image to download a PDF of the "InFocus" image from the December 11, 2013 issue ofProgressive Dairymanmagazine and read more about how Holsteins stack up against reindeer.

Here’s to you, reindeer wrangler! We know life is challenging in the frozentundra, what with the sun disappearing for months at a time and polar bearsattempting to shrink your livestock numbers. We won’t even mention thecomplete lack of robotic milking equipment available for reindeer.

So whether you’re already milking Santa’s fleet or contemplating awholesale change to your herd, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and lookforward to a promising 2014. PD