Welcome to 2025! Like you, I will no doubt be writing checks for the next three months with 2024 scratched out in the top corner.

Sometimes, we look at neighboring farms that seem to have a secret sauce to their success. They make success look easy. They get a lot of work done. But just like great barbecue, there are no shortcuts and no single secret sauce. Success on these top-tier farms is a series of repeatable elements that work together.

The time thief has struck again! We are knocking on the door of a quarter of a new century. I wish I could find culprit who keeps giving steroids to that chubby little baby New Year and keeps needling the old man New Year to hobble faster and faster.

Ever since 1894, Minglewood Dairy has upheld a tradition of exceptional care for their cows and land, evolving significantly over the past 130 years.

We had an old Farmall tractor that we used for years on the farm to do a lot of light work. My son, Joshua, ran it a fair bit and owned half of it. 

In October 2024, an establishment in London suffered the devastating theft of £300,000 (about $380,000) of inventory. It’s a loss that’s going to be tough to come back from. However, it wasn’t precious jewels or priceless artwork. It was cheese.

Join Progressive Dairy Podcast co-hosts Kimmi Devaney, Walt Cooley and Matti McBride – along with special guest David Cooper, who is the managing editor of Progressive Cattle magazine – for a recap of their favorite articles, podcast episodes and some of the biggest dairy news stories of 2024.

The culinary world is buzzing with the latest food trends – TikTok recipes, fusion dishes and celebrity chefs putting their stamp on everything from burgers to breakfast bowls. But behind every trend, there is a timeless player: dairy. Whether it is the rich decadence of cream, the sharp tang of cheese or the creamy delight of a milkshake, dairy has remained a staple of food culture for generations.