PEOPLE

In Canada and around the world, dairy production researchers are a prolific source of new knowledge, necessary for the progress and profitability of the sector. Government and industry invests millions of dollars in research and expects to be able to measure an impact at the farm level.

Ashley and Richard VanderKooi both grew up in the Fraser Valley area of British Columbia on dairy farms. Ashley’s family raised Holsteins and Brown Swiss; Richard’s family had Holsteins only.

Clarke and Nancy Gourlay had been living in Switzerland for several years, where they had experienced magnificent Swiss cheeses.

The number of females attending colleges of veterinary medicine in the U.S. surpassed the number of male enrollees in 1986. And with current enrollment hovering around 80 percent women, most vets who retire in the coming years will be replaced by a female practitioner.

Training for and running a half-marathon is a lot like life. There are twists and turns, and you never know where the road will lead.

Last September, I was invited to deliver the keynote address at the sixth annual Women in Agribusiness Summit, which was held this year in the Land O’Lakes hometown of Minneapolis. I accepted enthusiastically and, specifically, was asked to discuss “Navigating Ag’s Disrupted Environment: Why Ag Is Still Right for Women.”