By Emily Mollenhauer: MDI State Director
This Saturday, I have the opportunity to speak to 40 county dairy princesses at the May Leadership Event about how MDI supports the next generation of dairy farmers. Many of you are familiar with what this event is, but for those of you who don’t know, May Leadership Event is where county dairy princesses can compete in the judging that selects this year’s Princess Kay of the Milky Way finalists. Participants engage in hands-on learning opportunities as well.
When I was asked if I would be willing to serve as one of the six roundtable presenters, I’ll admit that I was probably more excited about the opportunity than one would think. For one, I love my job and love sharing with others the wonderful services that MDI has to offer, especially for farms planning for the future. Second, I’ve never actually attended the May Leadership Event in person. I was a Princess Kay of the Milky Way finalist in 2020 when everything was held virtually, so to say I’m excited to go in person is an understatement!
Enough of my rambling, at this point you’re probably wondering, “So how does MDI support the next generation of dairy farmers?” Well, it all starts with communication. Every active dairy farmer will transition their farm at some point. It will either be a transition to another successor, or they will transition out of dairy farming altogether. Neither of these things can happen smoothly without clear, open, and honest communication. Great communication is even more important when two generations are working together on the farm in the middle of a farm transition.
MDI coordinators help facilitate conversations between the exiting and entering generations. Often, farms need help from a neutral third party to make sure that everyone’s wishes and desires are communicated clearly, and MDI provides that help. MDI coordinators initiate conversations about the “hard stuff”, which in turns helps set up the next generation of dairy farmers for success. The best way to plan for the future is to start now.
During this Saturday’s roundtable discussions, the attendees of the May Leadership Event will learn about the importance of communication, and how different personalities and generations impact what that communication might look like. It is my hope that they leave with a renewed sense of passion for dairy farming and that they know that organizations (like MDI) support the entering generation of dairy farmers in Minnesota.
