People make a lot of resolutions in a new year. I’ve never been much of a resolution person, but a group of my friends and I do select a word that we’d like to focus on through the year. We post our “word of the year” on social media, and we may check in from time to time to hold each other accountable to our selection.
This year, I’m thinking of tweaking this tradition by deciding on something that I’d like to actually achieve in 2024. Some sort of a win, accomplish something that I’ve been putting off or haven’t even considered as a goal. This is not a hollow resolution – I will not be running any races or losing any weight this next year. I’m taking some time to decide what it is that I’d really like to do and do well. I can become a better writer, editor and showmanship coach, but I don’t want that to be my win – I should do that anyway.
My plan is to pick something specific that I’d like to achieve, make a plan and do it. I’m encouraging you as dairy farmers to do the same. It can be a big project, a relationship to mend, something small you do for yourself or the simple goal of spending more time with your family.
As we in the Canadian dairy industry look to all the possibilities that a new year brings, we are certainly in an ever-changing landscape. New technologies are always evolving, new regulations on animal care and comfort are being adapted across the country, and Canada continues to be a leader when it comes to sustainability in agriculture.
These are big-picture goals and ideas that will continue to affect dairying for years to come.
What are you looking at right there on your own little corner of the industry? Are you thinking of a new barn build or retrofitting an old one to make everything more efficient? Do you have a succession plan for your next generation? Will you increase acres or make small changes from traditional crops to increase feed efficiency and intake?
What are your plans for your herd? Will you select for different traits to improve your herd this year? Will you use more sexed semen or more beef bulls? Will you look at milkfat more closely in your sire selection process? Do you have a goal to breed great show heifers and/or a more complete robot cow?
Hoof care was a hot topic in our 2023 article selection; will you look at footbath design, concrete patterns and amount of time cows stand in 2024? Will you look at new calf barn ventilation and design to reduce pneumonia and bovine respiratory disease? New probiotics and new feed additives can increase success for transition cows into the milking herd – are those on your list of things to investigate sometime in the new year?
At Progressive Dairy, we’d like to think that we can be part of your plan and implementation of your win. We are so fortunate to have incredible contributors, freelance writers and industry professionals who contribute to the magazine and to your success. From people management to cow management and everything in between, we hope 2024 will build new relationships with our readers across the industry.
If you’re looking for a topic to help you make a 2024 win happen, send us a note – we’d love to cover it for you. If you’re wondering what my win will be for 2024, check back right here in our February issue.
