Management

The COVID-19 pandemic taught and continues to teach numerous lessons to those of us in the dairy industry. We found out in March 2020 that the processing and packaging part of the industry could adapt but was not very nimble in doing so.

The lack of volatility in the grain markets from 2015 to 2018 really lulled a lot of people to sleep. Most dairy producers had all but forgotten about the prices paid for feed between 2012-14 and became very accustomed to seeing corn futures bounce between $3 and $4 per bushel with minimal movement.

At approximately 5% of the dairy farm’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint, energy use is one of the smallest on-farm contributors when compared to manure management and feed production.

Basis is a very important number. It can be a metric used to determine your likelihood of profitability. It will tell you how your sales are priced compared to another processor. Even though dairy farmers today do not have much option to pick and choose where their milk is sold, basis is a number you should know.

Many U.S. dairy farmers have heard about the 2050 environmental stewardship goals for dairy farms and processing plants relating to greenhouse gas emissions, water use and nutrient management.

It’s the end of harvest. It’s time to clean up or make repairs to your equipment to get it ready for next year. It’s also a time to think about how you’ve performed from an operational standpoint. But, as you have more downtime over the coming months, it’s also an opportunity to take your management skills to the next level.