Working together, the family was able to have discussions about how the farm could utilize its cash flow to find a combination of saving, borrowing, insuring and gifting assets to nonfarming children at the optimal times to have maximum impact on their lives while also having a minimal impact on farm operations.

It pays to get the most out of farm meetings because animal well-being and productivity are usually involved. Whether discussing nutrition plans, health protocols, farm management strategies and more, our experiences point to one overarching factor that maximizes meeting time: preparation.

With multiple data sources collected in a single platform, dairy producer Allan Kutz is able to see more information in less time. In particular, he is better able to see how his fresh cows are performing by days in milk (DIM).

While investing in an anaerobic digester can have many advantages, dairy farmers have much to consider as they embark on these projects. Use the following tips to help ensure your anaerobic digester journey is successful.

Whether we’re at the high point of a cycle or in the depths of a downturn, the best managers regularly manage their margins. They understand that margin management is an “always” mindset, one that builds stronger positions during the good times so they can get through the bad.

The beef and dairy industries have long been interconnected, and all dairy producers are beef producers through the sale of market cows, bull calves and beef-on-dairy crossbred calves. Taking this one step further, we want to explore a few of the observations we have made as dairy producers have added a beef enterprise to their dairy operation or made the transition out of dairy.

I’ve heard from several dairy farmers that they don’t know how much longer they can hold on. I’ve watched families struggle to keep a dream alive at the demise of the family. And I’ve seen individuals suffer because they didn’t think there was life after dairy farming. Now seems like the right time to illustrate a story of a dairy family who overcame greater challenges than most of us will ever face.