It’s easy in today’s dairy industry to feel like you’re falling behind. Keeping up with new advancements, practices and technologies could be a full-time job, not to mention training team members upon making a purchase decision and implementing the new system.

While it’s critical to stay on top of the latest trends and research, it is equally important to be careful and measured when deciding which innovations to bring into an operation. At Hunter Haven Dairy, we’ve learned to take a step back, evaluate what matters most and make improvements that are grounded, practical and sustainable.

I began working summers at Hunter Haven Dairy while I was in college, then joined as a full-time herdsman in 1997. At that time, the dairy was expanding from 100 cows in a tiestall facility to 450 cows in a freestall barn. We’ve made a number of additional upgrades over the years with a focus on cow comfort and sustainability, including adding tunnel ventilation to barns, adding a methane digester and converting mattresses to deep-bedded solids.

In 2017, after nearly two years of planning, Nathan Dinderman and I entered into a purchase agreement with Doug Block and Tom Block to become co-owners of the dairy farm. One of the best parts of our transition into ownership was how the previous owners approached it. The Blocks weren’t just looking for a payout; they were looking for the right fit to ensure the dairy would continue. Our agreement included purchasing cows and feed inventory, along with leasing and future purchases of equipment, facilities and the dairy site.

Doug Block does our books and meets with us every Monday. His experience and calm perspective are invaluable.

Continuous improvement has always been at the heart of what we do, but that doesn’t always mean adopting a new system. For example, we had been having issues with udder health and inefficiencies in the milking parlor. We took a step back and analyzed every step in the milk flow from cow to the tanker truck, knowing that any interruption in that milk flow can be detrimental to the cow. We found several disruptions in the system and chose to revamp the parlor, including removing some equipment and automation.

Eliminating those interruptions improved efficiency as well as udder health, and we were able to add 300 more cows to the dairy using the same parlor, equipment and labor.

We try to carry a “one thing at a time” mindset through every part of our operation, including team communication. We have 22 employees and run three main crews. Once a month, we pull each crew together for a short huddle – usually 30 minutes or less. We talk about what’s going well, what’s not and what’s new with the herd. We also share production data. When people understand how their work impacts the farm’s success, they take more ownership.

That back-to-basics approach also guides how we manage land and crops. Dinderman leads the agronomy side of our operation, and we’ve been using cover crops for nearly 30 years. Northwest Illinois has its share of erosion challenges, so we utilize minimum or no-till when possible, and we’re careful with how we apply manure. Our goal is to improve soil health, not just maintain it.

It is always a challenge to get away from the farm for learning opportunities, but the investment of time and resources is well worth it. We’ve been members of Professional Dairy Producers (PDP) for a long time and have participated in a number of valuable programs, whether it is a single-day workshop or returning to the PDP Business Conference every year.

The business conference provides both networking and a tremendous amount of learning opportunities. In fact, a dairy our size should have at least two people there to attend all the sessions that are of value. It is also a chance to catch up with vendors and fellow producers to hear about what is working and what they are experimenting with on their operations.

We also appreciate the training programs for middle managers. Many of our managers were promoted because they were really good with cows, but have the opportunity to grow in communications and leadership skills. Programs such as Cornerstone Dairy Academy and Dairy Managers Institute, which are also simultaneously translated into Spanish, are great ways for managers to build skills which will help them grow personally and in their role on the dairy.

As agriculture continues to evolve, the combination of new technologies and managing the basics on our operation will position dairy producers for success now and in the future.

Scott Brenner is co-owner of Hunter Haven Farms in Pearl City, Illinois. The farm consists of about 1,100 dairy cows. Youngstock is custom-raised. Brenner has served on the Stephenson Fair Board for more than 10 years and has also been a member of the Stephenson County Farm Bureau board of directors for the last five years. Brenner is a fervent advocate for agriculture and consumer education, hosting many tours throughout the year. 

This column is contributed by Professional Dairy Producers (PDP), the nation’s largest dairy producer-led organization of its kind. PDP focuses on producer professionalism, stakeholder engagement and unified outreach to share ideas, solutions, resources and experiences that help dairy producers succeed.