Milk Maid

As the old saying goes, things can go on until the cows come home. For those of us in the working world, some days can feel like they can go on until the cows come home.

For me, I just kicked off my fifth year working here at the Mascot and it will be my last. I will however stay on to help the Mascot with ads, special projects and layout as needed from my home. I really enjoy using my creativity to create ads and I’m looking forward to hearing what you all think of our newest ad, “The Pet of the Week.”

We as a Mascot staff have had many discussions about the direction we’d like to take the paper and I can say with confidence that the paper is in good hands and I’m happy that I can still help out in some capacity.

At the beginning of the month, I accepted a position with the Minnesota Dairy Initiative as the Southwest Region Coordinator. The mission of the Minnesota Dairy Initiative (MDI) is to help existing and potential dairy producers succeed through team based on-farm education, resources and networking.

An MDI Dairy Team combines the skills and experience of veterinarians, feed consultants, dairy field staff, lenders, Farm Business Management instructors, Extension educators, dairy producers and others to help dairy producers identify, implement and analyze business and family goals. I’m very excited for this new opportunity and to learn and experience new adventures. I’m excited that I’ll be able to work closely with dairy producers in southwest Minnesota.

When people think of Minnesota’s dairy industry, most people don’t think of southwest Minnesota as a dairy powerhouse and I want to change that. We don’t have the quantity as other parts of the state, but we do have the quality.

One of the better perks of my new position is that I’ll be mostly home based, which means I don’t have to move. I’m looking forward to having a flexible schedule that will still allow me to play a role on my family’s farm, which is great because calf care is my favorite thing and is the area that I’m most passionate about.

I have enjoyed all the people (Darlene J., Vince L., Tony E. and Eloise H. will be my favorites) and lessons I have met along the way. It hasn’t been an easy decision but I feel it’s time for a change. To everyone that has been supportive, thank you.

Thank you Minneota Mascot for all the lessons and memories. I’ll carry them with me ‘til the cows come home.