Guest Blog

One of our first Christmases together as husband and wife was a disappointing one.

I’ve been a pretty open book regarding my struggles with anxiety and depression over the years, especially regarding how they intertwine with my vocation as a dairy farmer. As the conversation surrounding mental health and suicide awareness in our industry continues to add voices and gain traction, I’m filled with pride and awe at the brave individuals coming forward to speak their truths.

Christmas is a very special time of the year when we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Savior of the world. It’s a time of fellowship and love, and the giving of gifts one to another.

Dakin Dairy in Myakka City, Florida, began rolling out their annual spiced eggnog product in mid-October. While sunny Florida may not be the first area that comes to mind when thinking about the holiday milk punch, Dakin Dairy’s eggnog is a customer favorite.

How would you like to have complete control over the seasons? How might our lives and our businesses change if we had the ability to decide when each season would begin and end and could change the length of those seasons at any time?

Last June, I was looking for an audiobook that would give me some ideas for promoting June Dairy Month and happened to find The Big Fat Surprise by Nina Teicholz. My life changed. My view on what I put in my body changed. I was appalled by what's happened in America over the last 70 years and how the health of Americans is crashing in a downward spin.