A special feature of the Northeast Dairy Management Conference is a focus on leadership development and personal growth. Mark Mayfield kicked off the conference acknowledging and bringing humor to stress management with his presentation “Momma Told Me There’d Be Days Like This”. Mayfield, a past FFA national president, has taught agriculture, lobbied on behalf of agriculture, and is a professional speaker. The challenges of COVID, new and existing regulations, staffing shortages, milk price, and weather, have all tested the resilience of farmers across the country. “Mental health, depression, suicide, anxiety, and everything associated with agriculture right now exceeds the 1980s farm crises,” Mayfield said.

Holly Green, The Human Factor, offered insight and strategies in “Adapting and Thriving in an Ever-Changing World”. The human brain is not wired to work efficiently at our current hyper-pace, but understanding our limitations and applying strategies allows us to adapt more effectively. Each time we are met with unexpected change we go through a cycle of shock, denial, frustration or anger, depression and lack of energy, before acceptance. “You could go through these phases in a second, it could be minutes, or it could take a month. Sometimes people get stuck,” Green said. “Once we begin to really process the unexpected change and say okay, it is what it is, I have to make the best of it, is when we begin to accept.”