As the most exciting part of running a dairy operation, I know you’re dying to hear about how to do more with your monthly and quarterly financial statements. Of course, this may be a small exaggeration.

“What a difference a year makes.” It’s a phrase we’ve heard a million times, yet at least in the agriculture industry, those words could not be any more true. Dairy producers have seen a swing in Class III milk prices of greater than $8 per hundredweight.

You’re about to go through an exercise to help you tackle frustrations you may be experiencing right now with milk prices. With prices low and futures contracts bearish, now is the perfect time for this. Prices are going to change. Until then, and when they do, why not invest a few minutes to improve your mindset and, possibly, your bottom line?

In previous articles, we explored the possibility of needing long-term care and the way the large population of aging baby boomers may change the landscape of Medicaid and the nursing industry. Today, let’s take a look at three basic techniques to protect from nursing care: legal planning, self-pay out of pocket or insuring.

On many farms, this isn’t an issue openly discussed in the community, but it’s the white elephant in the room.

Cow comfort is a top-of-mind topic for farmers and consumers alike. Optimizing cow comfort is key to profitability on the dairy, as it is linked with higher milk production, reproduction and improved herd health. It is satisfying the animal’s needs, which can only be done by assessing each individual situation.

In farming, we have a culture of putting out the white picket fence and hiding our mistakes. Instead, we need to flip this attitude around and, instead of sweeping our mistakes under the rug, get really good at finding flaws and fixing them.

As you look back on that fateful day, it seems time will forever be distinguished between pre- and post-installation.

Have you ever contemplated benchmarking data for the top 10th percentile of farms and thought, “There is no way I will be able to reach that level” or “I’ve been at that number for years without a lot of effort”?

Transportation costs are a fact of life that, for most people, begins and ends at the gas station with today’s posted price of gasoline or diesel.