With the conclusion of 2019, a full-year profile of each Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) becomes clearer. One of the biggest changes in 2019 was the inclusion of California as an FMMO for a full year. California is unique in many ways, and certainly its federal order is unique to the FMMO system.

Twelve years ago this January, I completed my first half marathon in Phoenix, Arizona – a fact I admit has absolutely nothing to do with dairy. But the following day, I attended a federal court hearing in Phoenix that many in the dairy industry watched and followed with more than a passing interest.

The year is well on its way! After a very challenging 2019, the dairy community is still ready to face 365-day, 24/7 work. Dairy farmers have the privilege and responsibility to feed the world, by producing milk products – a source of high-quality protein.

With so many value-added options available to dairy producers, it can be overwhelming to evaluate each possibility and determine how to move forward. At the 2020 Pennsylvania Dairy Summit, Ginger Fenton and Sarah Cornelisse from Penn State Extension led a breakout session about feasibility analysis frameworks.

Subsistence farming, by dictionary definition, is “a system of farming that produces a minimum and often inadequate return to the farmer.” This is common practice in developing countries, but could that definition also be used to describe how many dairies in the U.S. have operated for the past several years? It’s as if we are in a first-world country that expects dairy farmers to survive on a third-world business model.

A distraught, middle-aged farmwoman recently asked me for advice on buying her daughter a farmhouse just down the road. This is a loaded question. When farm founders are considering how long they want to live on the farm, there can be a lot of conflict and frustration.

As a CPA who survived last year’s difficult tax season due to implementing the expansive changes that were enacted by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCGA), I have taken a step back and revisited some of the less-publicized and -known provisions of the new tax law.

Genske, Mulder & Co. has produced, for decades, what is referred to as cost studies for our dairy clients. These show the averages of our clients’ profit and loss statements from about 14 states, which provide an array of useful information.

How do I compare to my competition? How do I know if I am ready to expand? These questions asked by Ohio’s dairy farmers sparked publication of the 15 Measures of Dairy Farm Competitiveness in 1997.