Many dairies are making strides in becoming better and more productive – and are being helped by highly effective team meetings. Other dairies, in comparison, struggle.

During the past 10 years of my public accounting profession, I have noticed a trend among the farming clients I serve. This trend validates the old cliché “land rich, cash poor.” This article discusses an option that can change this cliché to “land rich, cash more.”

I don’t want this article to make me out to be more important or any more special than any other person who visits your dairy, but I have been invited to quite a few dairies over the past 14 years as a hoof trimmer. I enjoy seeing what families can accomplish through the dairy business, but I’ve also seen the financial hardship that can result when dairying does not go as planned.

It’s June Dairy Month – a time when our industry does an especially great job of promoting wholesome dairy foods and showcasing dairy farms. Here in Wisconsin, you can attend a “breakfast on the farm” event every weekend without having to travel more than 30 miles.

For anyone who grows crops for a living or gardens as a hobby, this past “spring” will be hard to forget. Throughout most of the Midwest, it’s been an unusually long, snowy winter and short, wet spring.

In health and fitness circles, people are often encouraged to “know your numbers.” Key statistics like height, weight, body mass index, cholesterol and blood pressure numbers are often used as basic measurements – or at least benchmarks for embarking on a fitness program.

From tractors to loaders, to machinery in the milking parlor, dairies depend on equipment to run their operations. The use of equipment allows dairies to operate more efficiently.

There is no magic to getting workers to do exactly what you want. It’s possible by simply executing good management. But you’ll need help from a few key workers who can assist if you’ve put them in the right position within your management scheme.