Increasing ingredient costs have wreaked havoc across the dairy industry, leading to elevated ration costs not seen in many years. Feed costs per pound of dry matter (DM) are rising as much as 20% or more as corn and soybean meal prices climb, minimizing farmers’ profit margins.

Many farms inquire if there is an easy how-to book or checklist that will guarantee a successful family farm transition. The answer is: no. How about an easy way you can sit down in an afternoon and complete your transition plan?

For many of us, formal education ends in our teens or early 20s after completing classes in high school, technical school or college. In my opinion, that’s the point in life to kick off a lifetime of learning.

For many, the idea of dealing with legal issues seems stressful. Rachel Armstrong, executive director of Farm Commons, says educating yourself about farm law reduces risk and can actually bring peace of mind instead.

Interested in selling your milk for $50 per hundredweight (cwt)? Well, it takes about 12 pounds of milk to make a gallon of ice cream, and selling the ice cream for $6 per gallon nets out a price of about $50 per cwt. Better yet, what if you sell it by the 4-ounce scoop for $2.50 per scoop? Are you ready to sign up?

About 12 years ago, a guy named Jack called me up and, although no one in his family knew it, he had terminal cancer. Succession planning had suddenly become a priority, and he didn’t know what to do.