Dairy producers may want to identify the areas of the farm in which the greatest expenses are incurred and act accordingly to minimize them.

The concept of a margin is not new. Simply put, revenues minus expenses equal the operating margin of a business. Many dairies do not look at their enterprise in margin terms. We assert that following a margin approach can significantly improve your dairy’s profitability and help your business through the inevitable lean times, such as we are experiencing right now, that are part of any cyclical industry.

Not a day goes by when I don’t hear someone mention long days at work, lack of family time or the absence of personal time that comes with a poor work-life balance. Working in a hospital setting, I also hear the words of family members who wish for one last day with their loved ones who spent their whole lives committed to work.

I’d like you to meet Joe Stewart. Joe is a personable, second-generation dairy producer from Idaho. Joe manages the family’s 750-cow operation and is always looking for ways to set up systems for better results. When it comes to management of the details, Joe Stewart shines.

In the movie Pure Country, Grandma Ivy says “… if you follow the roots, you’ll find him.”

Trimming fresh cow losses and reducing treatment costs are crucial steps to winning the game of tight margins in which we are all now engaged.

John Gilliand is the vice president of dairy operations for McArthur Farms in Okeechobee, Florida.

As producers evaluate expansion plans for the coming years, their focus typically first turns to the lactating cow barns, the milking parlor and manure treatment or storages.

During the past 12 months, we have seen near-record-level milk prices in most areas of the country and most recently low milk prices which rivaled the last 10 years.

For many producers the first thought related to milk quality is the price premium or incentive they receive in each milk check.