Animal care is a big deal to dairy farmers. If cows aren’t happy, they don’t produce as much milk for everyone to enjoy. Which is why farmers spend a lot of time and effort making sure their cows have the right nutrition, environment and veterinary care.

According to most accounts (and accountants), dairy profitability was only a dream during the first half of 2018. For many dairy farmers, just economically surviving could be deemed a successful outcome.

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.

At the same time a new Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) processing facility was being built near the farm, the Perazzo Brothers Dairy in Fallon, Nevada, began expanding its herd and building a new double-30 milking parlor. When the family made the move to their new milking facility, they also decided to add a farm museum that looks down over the parlor.

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.

How confident are you in your ability to eyeball a cow’s bodyweight? What about your ability to notice a 200-pound difference between two animals? What about your employees’ ability to notice that same difference?

Dairy producers have been utilizing beef sires to take advantage of strong markets throughout the past decade. This breeding strategy increases a dairy’s value of bull calves and non-replacement heifers.

Low milk prices and tighter margins have dairy producers and those exiting the dairy industry looking for alternative sources of income. Feeding dairy steers can be a viable and profitable option to supplement farm income.