Sometimes, we look at neighboring farms that seem to have a secret sauce to their success. They make success look easy. They get a lot of work done. But just like great barbecue, there are no shortcuts and no single secret sauce. Success on these top-tier farms is a series of repeatable elements that work together.

It pays to get the most out of farm meetings because animal well-being and productivity are usually involved. Whether discussing nutrition plans, health protocols, farm management strategies and more, our experiences point to one overarching factor that maximizes meeting time: preparation.

With multiple data sources collected in a single platform, dairy producer Allan Kutz is able to see more information in less time. In particular, he is better able to see how his fresh cows are performing by days in milk (DIM).

In a breakout session presentation at the Pennsylvania Dairy Summit, held in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, last February, Sarah Moag discussed management transitions and employee management strategies that have worked for her business, Noblehurst Farms, in western New York.

You never hear someone say they love farming because they love sitting in a meeting room talking about business. They will probably say they’d rather be doing anything else – with animals, crops, machinery, you name it – than sitting in meetings.

Whether your objective is sustainability, a new revenue source or odor control, interest in and development of dairy anaerobic digester projects has swelled over the past few years. The upward trend is only expected to increase as dairies seek manure solutions to meet a changing marketplace.

When the second generation took over at Salisdairy Farm, they vowed to always have honest, open communication with the farm team and it has brought them success with profitability.

In this episode of the Progressive Dairy Podcast, host Kimmi Devaney visits with Kansas dairy producer Lee Holtmeier from Linn Willow Creek Dairy about their employee culture, what they do to mentor and empower employees, and how they keep employee turnover low.