I have been listening to all the discussions about the need for dairy producers to “market for a margin.” This approach to risk management was born out of the pain of 2009 and the desire to find some way to lock in a reasonable margin in the midst of volatile commodity markets. While I understand the approach and why it has become a rallying cry, I believe that it sells producers short in the opportunity department. I believe our dairy producers are better than that. Or at least they deserve to hear the argument for how they could be better than that. I’m here to suggest that, in order to achieve continuing success under today’s financial pressures, a necessary mindset shift is in order: stop thinking about “marketing for a margin” and start thinking about “maximizing opportunity.”