Goals - another exciting part of life

One wish that I have for my children is that they understand the importance and power of setting goals.  Of course I am a goal setter, along with my husband, and without it I probably would be working a low level job for the rest of my life, struggling to get by, my husband's business would have been bankrupt, we would have lost our home, and I wouldn't be writing this blog right now.  Thank God for Goals!!! 

Eric and I talked for over 2 hours about our farm goals specifically yesterday.  Good news again: Milk price is supposed to see a dramatic increase beginning in February.  It's about time was my thought!!!  

Additionally, the vet was over to do a pregnancy check on the cows and all but 12 were bred.  This is fantastic, as we were worried about the bull we had, but he must have done his job.  Anyway, back to the relation to goals.  Eric and I were on a top 100 farms in Minnesota list for 7 months this year for selling a quality milk product, however our production rates were not satisfactory to our standards.  Always something right... 

So we had decided this year that we are going to build a free-stall barn to fix the environment problems which decrease the production.  Along with this we have been discussing possible solutions for making the buildings more "green" and sustainable including solar or windmill energy, white roofing, a rainwater collection system, a manure tank system, a reusable water heat system, geothermal heating and going into organic farming which is the way the future is looking.   

Lots of discussion was held...  Overall outcome:  By 2013 we will be on the top 100 list for the year for quality and will be on the top farms in the county list for production.  This would be a huge accomplishment and then we can keep looking up and revisioning from there. 

I just think, two years ago we began this journey.  We have made it through the two of the most difficult years in dairy history and did a pretty darn good job of it.  I am certainly looking forward to all the changes to come in the next two, and can't wait till the day I can stand back and go, "Wow! We did it!"