Your dairy’s culture can be the engine that drives success — or leads to its failure. So what is “culture”? Culture is a shared set of values, goals, attitudes and practices that characterize a business. A strong and healthy team culture can create a sense of unity and shared purpose among employees. It ensures that your employees feel valued and motivated, and it also helps them feel connected to the greater good.

When looking at your balance sheet, one of the big questions to ask is: How hard is your debt working for you? That is, are you making money on what you have borrowed from others? We often look to the numerator first to see what is happening there. Revenue is a great place to start, but we also need to look at the debt schedule. 

During the farm crisis of the 1980s, the term “cash flow is king” drove home the importance of using cash flow to pay debt. That’s still important as we continue to ride the cycles of the industry, but a projection of earnings is equally important. As the calendar transitions to 2025, dive into the question of why both are valuable.

A strong profit team can be the key to taking control of your farm’s success, no matter the size. With the right people at the table and a clear plan in place, you’ll be well on your way to achieving your business goals.

The latest Zisk report projects profitability on dairy farms for 2025. It shows that U.S. dairy producers are expecting a profitable next 12 months, but as with previous reports, the picture isn’t equally as rosy for all producers.