Since dairies come in all shapes, sizes and profit levels, it is nearly impossible to predict what profitability “looks like” at a glance. Is the most profitable business the one with the highest production? Nicest cows? Best reproductive numbers? Most land base? Healthiest heifers? What profits “look like” can vary somewhat from dairy farm to dairy farm – but studying a variety of dairy farm businesses over time can help to distinguish patterns for higher profits on dairies. This area of “profit patterns” has been the focus of recent Penn State research.

In a panel discussion, moderated by Attorney David Crass of Michael Best & Friedrich LLP, four dairy producers shared their unique situations with regulatory agencies that have taken an interest in the dairy industry. Read on to see what they learned and gather the advice they have for fellow producers. OSHA Brody and Jeremy Mahr Mahr City View Dairy Stanley, Wisconsin

Commodity market graphs of recent years are commonly compared to roller coasters with all of their ups and downs. Much like the feeling of climbing the first big drop of a roller coaster, anyone in agriculture today can be a bit anxious of what will happen next. At the Vita Plus Dairy Summit, Dec. 6 in Merrillville, Indiana, Joe Kerns of Kerns & Associates of Ames, Iowa, tried to calm everyone’s fear of the unknown by explaining what is taking shape in the marketplace.

In every business and industry there are challenges and opportunities. Dennis Dugan shared what he sees as challenges for today’s dairy industry and also spoke of the opportunities they are trying to conquer in Arizona.

When it comes to delegating your work, what’s the main reason you hesitate handing it over to somebody else? If you’re like most people, you’ll probably agree that it’s usually just easier doing the work yourself than having someone else do it for you. And if you’ve been doing the work for a long time, that makes perfect sense. With a lot of first-hand experience, you’re probably pretty good at what you do and most people don’t measure up. But that’s the simple answer.

As 2012 winds down, many will be doing the traditional year-end paperwork … taxes and tax planning, operating loans, financial reporting, etc. While we work to close out the year, it is imperative that we give proper time to planning the year ahead. We have talked in previous issues about the opportunities and risks that lie ahead as well as a few things that you can do to manage those situations.

Farmers’ behavioral health affects the animals they raise. Just ask a dog owner. They are well aware their pets sense how they feel. Practitioners of artificial insemination of livestock have long known their stress levels affect the conception rate of the animals they are breeding. Animals detect the tension of the people working with them. Reproductive success diminishes when the A.I. technician is stressed out.

Over the years, I’ve come to the conclusion that a lot of people who are highly motivated and driven to succeed “just don’t get it.” These highly productive people are focused on getting results and they expect others to be “doers” too. It seems that these go-getters have a hard time understanding why people don’t operate the same way they do. You see, they don’t need to be told more than once to get them to do something and they get frustrated when they have to repeatedly ask others to get things done.