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Getting Ready for Next Season
Using Debriefs to Smooth Out the Rough Spot As the pace of winter settles in this is the ideal moment to look back at the season behind you. Not with blame, and not with storytelling that drifts wherever the coffee takes it-but with a structured, practical debrief that helps you shape the year ahead. Most of the coming year's headaches are already visible in the rearview mirror. The trick isn't predicting the future. It's paying attention to the past in a way that pulls your team into the process and turns those frustrations into system improvements. Debriefs do just that. A good debrief is simple. Bring in the key employees who actually lived the season-the feeders, breeders, calf team, crop guy, lead milkers. Keep the meeting small enough...
Of Old Dogs and Old Friends
Thanksgiving - November 2025 Passing through an airport, I saw a variety of dogs, from the K9 to some fluffy things smaller than a medium-sized cat. These dogs were coddled, smelled great, and were going on vacation with their owners. That's not my dog. He's back home and smells like the last thing he rolled in. I've always had dogs. Some I've had for a short time before they passed away (the shortest was one day), and others I have spent over a decade with. My current dog is Romeo, and he's ten years old. He's an old dog. He's been with me longer than some of my friends. But whether we are talking about dogs or friends, the old ones are the best. From the very beginning,...
Rethinking Sweat Equity
Why It's Time to Put Old Compensation Models Out to Pasture For generations, sweat equity wasn't talked about. It was assumed. Work harder than anyone else, take home the same (or less) than the hired help, and trust that one day, the farm-or a good chunk of it-would be yours. Money was tight, and for many, it worked out just fine… until it didn't. The truth is, today's dairies track the hours and contributions of employees and pay them accordingly. Why not do the same for family members? The old sweat equity model-where family members accept below-market wages in exchange for a promised future inheritance-brings as many headaches as it solves, especially when it comes to succession planning and family harmony. Sweat Equity: A Double-Edged Machete (efficient but dangerous)...