Note: This is the sixth article for Progressive Dairyman about dairy culture. Since we first offered organizational culture inventory (OCI) assessments to dairy producers and their teams, data has been collected from 37 U.S. dairies including more than 600 participants.

Out the window of our Twin Falls, Idaho, office we have a privileged view of both Perrine Bridge/Snake River base jumpers, as well as the evolution of dairy market hedge plans. Some may consider a leap into dairy marketing as frightening as a jump off a bridge to the canyon floor nearly 500 feet below.

You’ve formed a limited liability corporation (LLC) and taken the initial legal steps toward a dairy farm succession plan. Don’t just put that plan in a filing cabinet or safe.

After raising the benchmark interest rate just once in seven years, the Federal Reserve increased the rate 0.25 percent in December 2016 and hinted three similar increases may be coming in 2017.

Despite being in an economic downturn, opportunities for growth remain in agriculture. “There are very few industries that have the growth potential this industry does.

For John, the focus was never about just making money. What started as a desire for independence quickly became a quest for sustainability and long-term success. John readily admits, “Nothing great is ever accomplished as a solo affair.”

If you thought dairying has been volatile the last few years, shifts in fundamental economic drivers could make dairying a much more expensive endeavor in the years ahead.

Chad Sime was ready to quit grazing. It was labor-intensive and stressful to him and his cows. He says there was no “natural flow” to it, and the inconvenience of moving cows was actually hampering his decision-making when it came to things like soil conservation.

Farmers markets represent several different opportunities for dairy producers. For some, they provide a chance to branch out and expand business, and for others they’re a great point of contact for outreach in the community.

For many years, the Fry family in Chestertown, Maryland, was able to straddle the line of conventional farmer and organic farmer. In 2000, the family began producing organic grain and forage because Horizon had moved one of their dairies to nearby Kennedyville.