Barns & Equipment

In urban planning, cities have a master plan to develop their land use for decades ahead. Certain areas are reserved for housing, industry, parks and shopping areas. New roads are located before they are built. Urban planners have a vision of how to develop the city and create a well-functioning and attractive place to live. Urban planning gives a path on how to get there.

As we move into the new year, many take stock of goals, growth areas and opportunities for improvement across their dairy operations. In some cases, that includes making smart investments that leave a small financial footprint but have wide-ranging impacts throughout your dairy.

Situation No. 1

It is cold out for this time of year. There is not much to do today on the farm, so you drive into town to have coffee with the guys and catch up on local gossip.

More than 100 years ago, Minglewood Inc. began as a dairy operation with only six cows, a small tiestall barn and a lot of hope. Their current operation is a far cry from their humble beginning in 1894. Today, owners Kevin and Roxann Solum and their family milk 1,200 Holstein cows, manage eight DeLaval robotic milking systems and farm 2,800 acres of crops near Deer Park, Wisconsin.

“That works well for them but not for me,” is a saying common in the ag and dairy industries. With different farm goals and available resources, many farmers find themselves doing things similar to their fellow producers, but with slight variations.

An extended warranty with unlimited miles good for three years was offered as an additional option as I sat with the money guy wrestling over the terms of purchase on a 6-year-old pickup back in February of 2012.