I don’t have the time. There’s hay to make. I need to change the oil in the tractor. As farmers, we are good at coming up with reasons why we can’t do something. It’s easy to use our occupation as a crutch to say no. There are times when it’s healthy to say no or when life really is in the way, but, then there are other times we need to say yes when asked.

This summer, our family was approached with two such situations we said yes to, and by saying yes, we have been able to network and share our story.

Our first yes was to Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin. We were asked to host one of their ACE Twilight meetings at the end of August. People will come to our farm for a tour and a chance to visit with local and state officials about what is on their minds regarding dairy and agriculture. It is an honor to be asked to host this event, and we are looking forward to it.

The second yes was to FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative. We received a short-notice phone call asking if we would be available to meet with our congressman and the top trade ambassador for the U.S. Ambassador Katherine Tai was coming to Wisconsin for a visit with Congressman Kind to learn about our agriculture industry and what our concerns were regarding trade. Without hesitation, we said yes. Due to haymaking, my husband and I decided that I would attend. The National Milk Producers Federation held a session to update us on the current trade situation regarding dairy. Then it was off to the dairy farm host to visit and share our story.

Even in our busy life, both on and off the farm, we felt it was important to say yes to these opportunities. You never know what can result when you say yes. So, if an opportunity offers itself, say yes!