For the editors and marketing teams of Progressive Dairyman, it’s always heartening to attend events like World Dairy Expo.

Nearly half of all “new” milk produced in this country over the last 13 years has gone to markets beyond our borders. Since 2004, the expansion in U.S. dairy exports alone added an average of $1.25 per hundredweight per year to U.S. farm milk prices. That has meant an additional $36 billion in milk revenues since 2004.

John Bennett and Michael O’Farrell, West Branch, Michigan, are dairy farmers on opposite ends of careers – O’Farrell is just beginning while Bennett is closer to the exit sign of semi-retirement.

What essential skill do military veterans have that dairy farmers need? Flexibility, according to two retired army officers – one now a grazing mentor and the other his apprentice.

Picture in your mind a person who cares for dairy cattle, practicing good animal husbandry. He or she enjoys spending time with the herd and has detailed knowledge about each individual cow.

When hoof health records showed digital dermatitis (DD) was out of control at a Minnesota dairy, the owners installed automatic scrapers to keep alleyways and hooves cleaner. In addition, they now modify footbath protocols when reports indicate DD is escalating.

In a recent article, I mentioned the concept of continuous improvement and want to expand the conversation around that management model.

Since the first cow was domesticated, dairy farmers have continually invested in better ways to milk cows and deliver the highest-quality products possible to consumers. High-tech milking equipment, infrared milk meters, automatic detachers, electronic identification and animal monitoring technology all work together to benefit cow, equipment and people performance.

This is the final article in a three-part series. In Issue 16 of Progressive Dairyman (Oct. 1, 2017 - Land use law and zoning: Vested rights), we discussed ongoing legal battles involving Golden Sands Dairy LLC and a local government over the siting of a new dairy operation.

As 2017 rapidly comes to a close, it is time to plan for 2018. As your dairy business continues to change with uncertain markets and shrinking basis over the Class III price, business planning becomes more critical than ever.