There has been a lot of focus in recent years on the amount of methane (CH4) emissions produced by dairy cows. In 2009, the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy set a voluntary goal of reducing enteric methane emission levels 25 percent by 2020, and last year California announced regulation requiring a 40 percent reduction in whole-farm methane emissions between 2013 and 2030.

I’ve been directly involved with the feed industry for more than 10 years, and the issue of “money under the table” is one of the most pervasive concerns I’ve seen between dairy producers and independent consultants. We’ve all heard about these deals, usually one guy referring to “the other consultant” down the road. Last year, a colleague of mine (we’ll call him Mike) told me about a situation he’d encountered.

Dairy producers hire consultants for the services and expertise they provide. Consultants, whether they are nutrition consultants, veterinarians, crop and nutrient management plan advisors or financial advisors, are contractors paid by the dairy operation.As Dr. Tamilee Nennich from Purdue University has written, simply paying the consultant on a regular basis does not ensure that the consultant is providing the dairy operation with the best service possible.