Direct selling of beef from the farm is often mentioned as a way you can generate extra revenue and profit margin on the farm with minimal input cost, so many farms are often tempted to take on a project like this. We are a few years into the process and are often asked for our advice from others who are thinking about attempting this sort of a project, so I am taking this time to write about our experience.

As 2020 drew to a close, there was a confluence of things on the farm and in my life, combined with my off-the-farm work experience, that got me to thinking about some things I would have considered pretty radical only a few short years ago. But, time, perspective and the fallout of COVID-19 have caused me to look at some things differently.

My brother and I both had the privilege of working off the farm after high school before we came back to take over the dairy. One of the things we learned in our experience in manufacturing settings was in regard to equipment usage, specifically in terms of the numberof hours a day a piece of equipment was used.

On our farm, we try to host a university student or two every year. We find that it is a good experience for all involved. Typically, we learn from them, and hopefully they learn something from their time here.

In December 2018, I attended the DTN conference in Chicago. I had the opportunity to be part of a conversation regarding the future and how it affects agriculture in general and specifically dairy, as the group I was there with either have a dairy or provide feed to dairies. We had an interesting conversation regarding the byproducts we feed to our cows and what they may or may not be in five to 10 years.

I am writing today with a slighter different tone and feel than posts of the past. We are finishing off one of our more challenging summers here on our farm – a “lost summer” in the words of my brother and farm partner. Let me provide some background to bring us to Sept. 1, 2018, and the feeling of a lost summer.

Prior to my return to our family’s dairy farm, I worked for an electrical contractor. In my time there I completed my apprenticeship and worked my way from foreman to superintendent to project management in a 12-year career.

In the time since I wrote my last post, in which I referenced a dairy being built in Indonesia and the signals it is sending to the market, I have had the opportunity to host on our farm two gentlemen who are tasked with trying to put together that dairy.

Following a trip to World Dairy Expo to view new ideas and to get recharged for the year ahead, I have been reflecting on the supply struggles that the industry is facing. The last two years have seen continued growth of production holding prices down. At first glance, this seems to be a simple supply and demand issue, but as I have done some closer looking, I am wondering if there are also some issues with product/market fit.

Here in Wisconsin, some farms are now falling under the jurisdiction of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in regards to workplace safety, and I hear a large amount of pushback from my peers about how we as farmers don’t want and cannot afford more government regulation.