What If Real Change Starts By Changing As Little As Possible?

In our latest article, Claire Windeyer challenges the way we think about change—both in our personal lives and in agricultural extension.

Just like New Year’s resolutions, adoption of on-farm recommendations rarely fail because the science is wrong. They fail because we overlook how people actually make decisions and change:

❓ Why incremental, realistic steps outperform grand ambitions

💭 How supporting decision-making is more effective than trying to “motivate change”

🧠 The role of empathy, risk, mindset, and asking better questions in advisory work

🤔 Why staying the same is often reasonable—and where curiosity should start

If we want lasting, meaningful change in agriculture, this article reminds us to slow down, say less, ask more, and design our systems around the daily decisions that really matter.

Read the full article below! 👇

What Are We Reading This Month?

Effects of thermal stress on calf welfare

In a nutshell: This paper explains that both cold and heat can negatively affect dairy calf welfare, and that housing and management choices play a big role in reducing these stresses. Recent North American research by Van Os and colleagues found that calves prefer social contact, even in challenging temperatures. In winter, pair-housing calves in outdoor hutches increased shared body heat, which likely improved comfort in cold conditions. In summer, added heat from pair housing could be offset with good ventilation, which calves preferred.

Real-World Resources

Podcast
Feeding veal cattle: Fibre, ratios, and rethinking nutrition

Check out the next podcast episode over in Calf Care Corner! In this episode, Steve Roche speaks with Holly McGill, a ruminant nutritionist with Diamond V Canada, about practical approaches to calf nutrition. Their conversation highlights the role of fibre and water in veal diets and how balanced feed ratios support calf health. They also walk through on-farm strategies like monitoring bunk scores and keeping detailed records to fine-tune feeding programs and reduce condemnations.

Listen below! 👇