Cows don’t like to get stuck in muck. Many stressed-out dairy families are also seeking solutions to get transition plans unstuck and moving again. Fairness is a key challenge in the process.

Almost every dairy producer has questioned whether it makes sense to hire a custom harvester or complete harvest themselves. Some have done in-depth analyses of the two strategies by considering different financial variables, such as cost of ownership, labor, depreciation, interest, repairs and how their balance sheet would be affected. However, all of that is often thrown out the window in favor of one very tangible and a few intangible considerations.

Dairy farmers thinking about investing in automated milking technology can position themselves for the best chances of loan approval by understanding what it is their lenders need from them.

New mid-infrared milk analysis metrics have been developed to provide actionable dairy herd management data.

Ah, yes, one of the dairy manager’s most cringe-worthy duties, creating the employee schedule. You think you have it all figured out, and then someone needs a day off, or better yet, your employees want a different schedule all together.

Francis Bacon (1561-1626), philosopher, scientist and author, once opined: “Some books should be tasted, some devoured, but only a few should be chewed and digested thoroughly.”

Our firm has produced averages of our dairy clients’ profit and loss reports on a quarterly basis for quite some time. Our clients, as well as others in the industry, have found these very helpful as benchmarks to which to compare their own operations.

Ron St. John of Trenton, Florida, got his start in the dairy industry like many others: by being born into a farming family. His farm business has taken a long journey from his father’s 67 cows in a small, northern New York town to the herd’s current status as the largest freestall dairy in Florida that may seem unique to some.

Editor’s note: This article is the second in a two-part series. Click here to read the first article. In the first article, which appeared in the June 12, 2018 issue of Progressive Dairyman, I focused on the leadership, parenting and mentoring required by parents from birth of their children to the time they do or do not return to the dairy farm business.

Labor issues can be a challenge on any dairy farm. Attorney Karl Butterer of Foster, Swift, Collins and Smith, PC, explored labor policies, trends and employment pitfalls with dairy producers at the Great Lakes Regional Dairy Conference held in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan.