Guest Blog

“O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever” (Psalm 107:1 KJV).

Fourth-generation Oregon dairy farmer Derrick Josi is no stranger to tackling the hard questions about dairy farming posed by skeptics online. His first book, An Industry Worth Fighting For, addresses some of the misconceptions and questions he hears from consumers.

Integrity first.

Service before self.

Excellence in all we do.

Sounds like that could be the motto for dairy farmers, and for some, it’s likely close to the farm’s written mission. It is actually the core values of the U.S. Air Force that ground service men and women.

Sadness, disappointment, exhaustion, guilt, relief. All emotions we are processing on this last week of being dairy farmers in early October 2021.

“I will only be happy when…” was the phrase I lived by for most of my college and early career. At some point or another, most of us experience points in our lives where our long-term goal isn’t aligning with current circumstances.

We all know we are supposed to treat others with kindness. However, with the stresses of daily life, especially when it comes to living and working in agriculture, it can be overlooked more often than many of us would like to admit.