When you open this magazine, I’ll be three grilled cheeses and four chocolate shakes past my limit as I fuel myself for my favorite week of the year. Though the week I spend in Madison each fall at World Dairy Expo always feels like a whirlwind, I leave the Badger State with a renewed love and passion for the industry. Something about spending a week surrounded by people who love cows as much as you do will do that. And stuffing yourself with all things cheese helps, too. (If you're here, stop by booth EH 1103-1104, we'd love to meet you!)
WDE’s theme for 2024 – the golden age – captures some feelings I've felt the past 12 months. Nothing particularly extraordinary happened to me over the past year. In fact, I would describe it as one of growth. I’ve found myself truly appreciating the normal days. This stems from some change – saying goodbye to our cows, watching a little brother graduate high school and venture out into the world, moving out of my husband and I’s first apartment, adding a puppy to the family since our new residence lacks the space for a cow. (Our puppy is black and white, though … I guess old habits die hard.) Little things have seemed bigger lately. Though far from glamorous, I know I’ll look back and appreciate this golden age someday as change molds my life into yet another new phase.
Don’t be fooled by the aura around the word golden. There have been times this year that have lacked the shine and brilliance of one of Earth’s most precious metals. There haven't been a lot of periods that emulated gold, either. However, I’ve learned to appreciate the beauty in that. There are little glimmers of gold in the everyday grind – the sun peeking over the mountains on my morning drive to the gym, my favorite dry cow running to greet me when I visit home, giggling with my nephews and niece, riding down a back road in an old truck with my best friend, the smell of freshly-worked dirt. I’ve found myself saying prayers of gratitude as God has shown up in the little things.
Gabby Barrett says it best in one of her recent songs, “We ain’t gotta look back and wish it all stayed the same. Right here, right now I say, 'These are the glory days.'” Lainey Wilson talks about the same thing in "Middle of It," "You're gonna miss these days when you didn't even know you were on your way."
To the general public, equating dairy farming with gold might be a far stretch, but you know what I'm talking about. We live a rich life, full of precious moments, triumphs and challenges. When you're in the trenches of a rough day in the barn, it might seem comical to view this period on your farm as golden. The decisions we make today are setting us up for the next age of our business. It might not be as bright and shiny as we all hope, but innovation never is. I love that about our industry. We are willing to put in the work to see improvements – however big or small – tomorrow, next month and next year. We see glimmers of gold in a lower-than-normal somatic cell count, a transition cow chewing her cud, more visits to the robot or an employee going the extra mile during their shift.
The dairy industry, much like life, is in an evolving golden age. Where did you see glimmers of gold today?
