“There’s certainly no market right now for dairy heifers. Good Holstein bulls are still making some money,” said Mike Baker, beef extension specialist at Cornell University, at the recent New York Beef Producers’ Association annual conference.

Employee onboarding is the go-to method for attracting, training and retaining employees. It enhances performance, increases farm safety and reduces turnover. But what is it, and how can it be incorporated into your farm’s hiring process? 

Growing your dairy farm requires a strategic plan, one that positions it for success in the long term. That plan forms the basis for incremental growth, focused on putting numerous small steps together to achieve the desired end result. The key to this step-by-step approach is knowing beforehand what that final goal looks like and developing a strategy to achieve it.

Bedded pack barns – either deep-bedded or compost bedded – allow cows to freely roam and lie down in any configuration they prefer. Manure is kept in place and managed in solid form.

Labor is the second-largest expense on dairy farms, and labor costs are frequently a target for cuts. However, any attempts to reduce labor expenses must be weighed against the impact on quality and the quantity of the farm’s output, warns Jason Karszes, Cornell University’s PRO-DAIRY farm management specialist.

Raising crossbred calves for the beef market requires intensive management with a focus on calf health and nutrition. Getting calves off to a good start, and getting them to grow well, necessitates providing a low-stress environment and feeding for gain.

Crossbred dairy beef is big news as dairy producers seek to diversify and capture the most value from their bull calves, heifers that aren’t needed for the milking herd or cows which are no longer going to be bred for replacement purposes yet still have a productive milking life.

Four panelists, representing some of the dairy industry’s leaders in building employee engagement, offered their perspectives at the recent Operations Managers Conference, presented by Cornell PRO-DAIRY and the Northeast Dairy Producers Association. The session was moderated by Dr. Richard Stup, Cornell agricultural workforce specialist. Panelists shared how and why to engage employees and build a positive workplace culture.

With all of the bad news and market challenges dairy farmers have been contending with during the past year, Michael Hosterman, agricultural business consultant with AgChoice Farm Credit, has a bit of positive information for producers looking to make improvements to their dairy business during 2019 and beyond.

A cow feeding program is only as good as the as-fed ration. No matter how good things look on paper, the reality of the cow diet is determined, day in and day out, when feeders prepare and deliver the actual rations. If that as-fed ration deviates from the formulated one, the cows aren’t receiving the optimal nutrition you think you’re providing them.