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The key to any successful organization must be its communication network. Bold statement, but is it true? It is, of course, a sweeping generalization and one with which anyone would have difficulty in picking an argument. One way to determine what is, and what is not, vital to your organization is by eliminating it from the equation and asking yourself where you would be without it. Do away with your communication system, apart from the most basic, and see what you are left with? If the answer is not a great deal, then you can hopefully appreciate the importance of what you have, and realize the attention it deserves. Taking things for granted is an all too common phenomenon. When developing new systems and new strategies, it is important to remember the existing systems so as not to ignore their development too. Distribution and logistics management is an area which is experiencing many changes and, because of this, it is important for the communication system to be first class.

This chapter begins with a short story based on a personal memory which is about how the interplay between ‘human’ and ‘technology’ may indicate a level of mastery in knowing in practice. The story suggests that ‘human’ and ‘technology’ can perform tasks that could not be performed by only one element. I turn to discuss how papers could be designed to be accepted as ‘scientific’, providing examples of the use of stories in research and explicitly sets ‘story’ in relation to Dewey’s ‘art as experience’. Dewey states that we should pay attention to what a product does with and in experience; something that is relevant for scientific products. Different forms of writing contribute knowledge that lie outside the strict framework of scientific articles. Notwithstanding this, a story needs a framework of some sort if it is to connect to a scientific discourse. To be able to write differently, we need arenas for publications that are accepted within the evaluation systems that govern academic careers. This matters to researchers’ careers and to the relevance of the knowledge that is developed in the scientific community and the relevance of universities as ‘knowledge providers’. If the formal structure of an academic article determines what researchers can say, then the scope of scientific knowledge will be limited. The inclusion of stories can stimulate dialogue, potentially link creative and logical thinking together, and bridge theoretical and practical knowledge. We need stories to heal and unite separated life worlds.

The purpose of this article is to document and evaluate patterns of nontraditional credit use among Wisconsin dairy farmers. Using a survey-based case study approach, this article analyzes farmer and farm characteristics, farmers’ utilization of credit and farmers’ perceptions of nontraditional lenders. The findings are connected to ongoing structural change in the dairy sector and economic theories of trade credit.

Data were collected using an incentivized online survey of Wisconsin dairy farmers distributed through existing university and industry networks. A total of 16 farmers completed the survey. The sample is treated as a focus group case study, and participants’ responses are examined using summary statistics and correlational analyses to describe emergent patterns in the industry.

Among survey respondents who utilize agricultural credit, nearly 80% (11 of 14) borrow from at least one nontraditional lender, and nontraditional credit comprises 17% of their total borrowing, on average. Much of this borrowing occurs through the financial arm of a vendor and is used to finance equipment or machinery purchases. Despite widespread use of nontraditional credit, no surveyed farmers preferred nontraditional lenders over traditional lenders.

This is the first study to analyze the use of nontraditional credit specifically among Wisconsin dairy farmers. Dairy farming is a capital-intensive endeavor, and recent structural change in the sector has increased surviving dairy farmers' demand for credit.